Celebrities might be comfortable sporting expensive watch brands like Tag Heuer and Vacheron Constantin, but successful business people are a different breed. They typically don’t need to impress business colleagues or media so conspicuously, being content to show their success through their financial endeavors.
It’s worth remembering that a wristwatch does much more than tell the time. Like the clothes you wear, your watch advertises your style and business philosophy. Do you want to be flashy in the boardroom or confident? Are you a braggart or softly assured? For many, how you look says a lot about who you are. That might not be fair, but it’s true.
Tom Perkins found that out the hard way. The billionaire venture capitalist made the news earlier this year when he appeared on TV to apologize for disparaging comments about the Occupy Wall Street movement, while wearing a $380,000 watch. Unsurprisingly, the press lambasted him. To be fair, it’s not likely that Perkins was trying to pass himself off as just ‘one of the guys,’ but if he did want to appear at least a little sympathetic toward the common person, he failed spectacularly, and in public view.
This year, it’s been impossible to not notice that the message carried loud and clear to Perkins’s peers in the billionaire club. Here are some other famous celebrity watches:
Bill Gates’ “$10 watch”
During a recent visit to a horse farm in California with his teenage daughter Jennifer, Bill Gates was spotted wearing a Casio watch, specifically the W214H-1AV model, which retails for a whopping $17! Perhaps the world’s second richest man picked it up on sale. He was quoted earlier this year in The Washington Times: “I wear a $10 watch.” Before you call him cheap, remember Microsoft’s original goal of making computers affordable and accessible to everyone. Like a $10 Casio.
Richard Branson’s “pilot watch”
Charismatic founder of the Virgin Group, including Virgin Airlines, Richard Branson, whose net worth is estimated to be around $5 billion, recently told a Wall Street Journal reporter that he wears a Torgoen Swiss Made watch, which he bought due to its “pretty face”. The T16 pilot’s watch sells for a reasonable $320 on the Torgoen website. Now, I’m quite sure Richard Branson owns several other watches. He was a Bulova Accutron brand ambassador at one time. But in the pages of The Wall Street Journal, he chose to be practical and traditional. Not a bad business culture to convey.
Roman Abranovich’s “The heart-monitor”
Another surprisingly inexpensive watch worn by a multi-billionaire can be found on the wrist of Russian steel giant, Roman Abranovich, whose worth is just under $9.5 billion. Abranovich was spotted several times wearing a Polar M61 watch, valued at $140. The watch is designed for runners and can monitor heart signals. Hopefully, he’s not under too much stress. I think that Abramovich, who forked $270 million (USD) for the purchase of the Chelsea Football Club, wants to portray himself as young and sporty.
Oprah Winfrey’s “frugal fashion”
American media mogul, actress, host, producer, and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey also happens to be one of the richest women in the world. At a recent White House Correspondents Dinner, Winfrey was photographed wearing a Philip Stein stainless steel dual quartz time-zone Limited Edition Oprah dial timepiece ($730), designed especially for her. The watches—which reportedly incorporate “Natural Frequency Technology” to promote relaxation and improve sleep quality—are a favorite of Winfrey’s, who has given them away to members of the audience at her talk show. She certainly couldn’t be doing that with Rolex. If you’re not so lucky to get a Philip Stein for free, you can pick one up for around $400.
Barack Obama’s “Secret Service special”
American President Barack Obama wore a TAG Heuer while a senator, but now almost exclusively wears a special edition Jorg Gray 6500 Chronograph —manufactured exclusively for the U.S. Secret Service—which was presented to the president from his Secret Service detail for his 46th birthday. You can buy a similar watch for $350. As a politician who was elected as a populist, an inexpensive watch makes sense; more important, his loyalty to the men and women protecting his life is appropriate and thoughtful. It’s the sort of gesture more CEOs should adopt.
There are some good reasons for up-and-coming entrepreneurs to adopt the pragmatic approach exhibited by some of the world’s most successful business people. For starters, common sense and practicality—at all stages of the life of your business—will serve you well. But, also think about the kind of messages you can subtly convey without saying a word through how you carry yourself and what you wear, including your wristwatch.
