Only Seven in the World: "Starting Price $180,000"... OpenAI Commissions Luxury Custom Watches for Executives

OpenAI Places Special Order for Seven Custom Watches from Vanguart
Base Model Starts at 250 Million Won
Distributed Among Key Executives

OpenAI, the developer behind ChatGPT, has reportedly collaborated with a luxury watch brand to create ultra-high-end custom watches for a select group of employees, drawing considerable attention.

Seven Custom Watches Ordered... Engraved with 'Compute is Destiny'

OpenAI Custom-Ordered Watch Base Model. Vangart Homepage

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on August 25 (local time), OpenAI CEO Sam Altman placed a special order for seven custom watches with Vanguart, a Swiss luxury watch startup. Since its founding, Vanguart has produced fewer than 200 watches, making it a brand known for its rarity. These new watches are based on Vanguart’s signature model “Orb,” with a starting price of $180,000 (approximately 250 million won) for the base model.

The custom watches feature intricate details reflecting OpenAI’s identity. The rotating weight (rotor) is engraved with CEO Altman’s well-known phrase, “Compute is destiny,” and the crown bears the word “Scaling.” The caseback also includes an inscription in Python programming language syntax that reads: “if AGI.aligned: deploy().”

Mehmet Koruturk, Chairman of Vanguart, explained the design by saying, “It signifies that AI should be used for peaceful purposes,” adding, “We strive to express subtle respect for those who know where to look.” Chairman Koruturk also noted that nearly one-third of the company’s 33 employees were dedicated to the production of the OpenAI watches. These seven watches have reportedly been distributed among key executives within the company.

Separately, OpenAI also collaborated with Tudor, Rolex’s sister brand, to create 400 custom watches for other employees. These watches feature the OpenAI logo on the dial and the phrase “Good research takes time” engraved on the back.

Google and Meta Also Join the Luxury Watch Trend

Boris Power, Head of Applied Research, introducing the custom watches for OpenAI employees. Boris Power X

Not just OpenAI, but executives at major Silicon Valley tech companies like Google are seeing a growing trend of producing or collecting luxury watches. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, drew attention when he appeared publicly wearing an ultra-high-end timepiece from the Swiss luxury brand F.P. Journe, valued at $1.3 million (about 1.8 billion won). CEO Altman is also known to have previously favored a Greubel Forsey watch worth approximately $650,000.

Georgia Benjamin, a designer at Adobe who collaborated with British watch brand Studio Underd0g to create employee watches, commented on the luxury watch trend, saying, “Owning a symbolic, tangible object gives you a sense of belonging to the insider group.”

 

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.