The billionaires most often photographed with watches do not share a single style. A July 2020 South China Morning Post feature reports that Bill Gates preferred an affordable Casio Duro, that Jeff Bezos wore a Ulysse Nardin Dual Time, that Tim Cook wore an Apple Watch, and that Mark Zuckerberg did not wear a watch at the time the article covered. The feature also associates the late Steve Jobs with a Seiko. These are reported choices from a single 2020 article, not a current survey of billionaire wardrobes.
What the 2020 feature reports
The article is “No Rolex, we’re rich – why billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook wear watches even you can afford” by Gloria Fung, published July 24, 2020. Its reported examples are:
- Bill Gates: a Casio Duro, a low-cost digital-analog model that the feature presents as his preference.
- Jeff Bezos: a Ulysse Nardin Dual Time, a Swiss luxury watch.
- Tim Cook: an Apple Watch, a smartwatch rather than a mechanical or quartz timepiece.
- Mark Zuckerberg: no watch at the time the article covered.
- Steve Jobs: associated with a Seiko. The feature does not establish a specific reference, so this article does not name one.
Comparing the examples
Placing the five examples side by side shows why the list is useful as a counterpoint to assumptions about wealth. The table uses only the attributes the feature supports. It does not rank the watches by price, because the article does not quote current prices and prices for these models change over time.
| Person | Reported watch (July 2020 feature) | Type | Reportedly wore a watch? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Gates | Casio Duro | Traditional watch, affordable line | Yes |
| Jeff Bezos | Ulysse Nardin Dual Time | Traditional watch, luxury Swiss brand | Yes |
| Tim Cook | Apple Watch | Smartwatch | Yes |
| Mark Zuckerberg | None | Not applicable | No, at the time covered |
| Steve Jobs | Seiko, reference not established | Traditional watch | Association reported; wearing details not stated |
Two axes do most of the sorting. The first is form: a traditional watch with hands or a display, or a smartwatch that depends on software and charging. The second is branding: the Casio and the Apple Watch are widely recognized products without the prestige positioning of a high-end Swiss maker. The table shows what was reported; it does not establish why any individual chose a given watch.
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Where the evidence stops
- The headline’s “million-dollar” claim is not supported. None of the named watches is shown in the feature with a valuation, and no specific million-dollar example is established.
- The Seiko reference is unknown. A brand association is not a model identification, so any named Seiko reference would be unverified here.
- The choices are dated. Reports from July 2020 describe what was observed or said at that time. They do not establish current preferences for Gates, Bezos, Cook, Zuckerberg, or Jobs, who died in 2011.
- Motives are not established. The feature raises interpretations but does not verify why any person chose or avoided a watch.
Three frames the article uses to read the choices
The feature asks whether a wristwatch is “a tool to tell the time, a status symbol or a statement of your values?” That framing is the article’s own question, not a quotation from any of the people discussed. Each of the three frames fits the examples differently:
- Timekeeping: a Casio or an Apple Watch can be read as a practical tool, but the feature does not say this was the reason for either choice.
- Status: a Ulysse Nardin signals a luxury purchase to people who recognize the brand, yet a wearer may not care about that signal.
- Values: choosing an affordable watch or no watch can be read as a statement, but reading one into the choice goes beyond the reported facts.
Anyone quoting these examples should keep the reported object separate from these interpretations, and should attribute the framing to the 2020 article rather than to the individuals.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to cite these examples accurately
- Name the source, author, and publication date (South China Morning Post, Gloria Fung, July 24, 2020).
- Describe the watches as reported in that feature, not as current possessions.
- Use the model names at the level the feature supports: Casio Duro, Ulysse Nardin Dual Time, Apple Watch, and Seiko.
- Do not describe any watch as a million-dollar piece unless a specific valuation supports it.
The feature is still the most direct public record of these particular choices, and it shows that a billionaire’s wrist can hold a $20 digital watch as easily as a Swiss luxury piece.
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