- Swiss watch brand Tudor has created custom styles with major tech companies like Apple and Google.
- Two of these watches, made for employee collector clubs at Apple and Google, are currently on the market.
- A watch made for the Google Collectors Club recently sold for more than $10,000 at auction.
Big Tech and Watch enthusiasts can own the crossover of their dreams.
Two custom watches made by Swiss watch company Tudor for employee watch collector clubs at Apple and Google are on the market.
Silicon Valley is where flashy watches can be seen on the wrists of leaders like Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Ellison. The love of watches has given rise to groups of watch collectors within some of the largest companies.
A watch made for a group of Apple employees is up for bid at watch auction house Loupe This, until February 25. The current bid as of Thursday afternoon is $13,500.
This pattern is part of Tudor’s Black Bay collection. Similar used models typically resell for around $3,000.
The Apple Collector’s Edition Limited Edition features a skull and crossbones pirate flag and has deep ties to Apple history.
It’s a throwback to the era of Steve Jobs. “It’s better to be a pirate than join the Navy,” the late CEO once said in a meeting, and members of the Macintosh team often refer to themselves as pirates, as one former employee described it in a blog post. In reference to these roots, the company raised the pirate flag over Apple’s headquarters on the occasion of its 40th anniversary.
About 82 of these “pirate” watches were produced around 2021, according to the Loupe This list.
The Tudor watch, created in collaboration with Google’s watch collecting group, Watches@, is also for sale on vintage watch market Wind Vintage.
It’s from Tudor’s Pelagos collection and features a Google-centric touch that tech fans might recognize: the Google Chrome Dino at 6 o’clock on the dial. The design is inspired by the Chrome Dino that pops up when your computer is not connected to the Internet. She’s also the character in a game you can play on Google Chrome.
The watch, manufactured in 2024, is listed for $14,900. A similar model sold at auction on Loupe this past week for $10,451.
Other Pelagos models resell for around $4,000 on used watch markets.
Apple, Google and Tudor did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Loupe co-founder Eric Ko said these types of collaborations come together through groups reaching out to companies like Tudor to have custom watches with their logo and other changes, such as engraving.
They tend to sell more than basic models because of their limited quantities, and they also attract “true fans” of the brands they represent, Kuo said.
“For tech nerds like me, the hacker flag is a symbol with a long tradition used by Apple people,” Kuo said. “The pirate flag pictures are also very charming.”
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