Big Tech and watch fans could own the crossover piece of their dreams.
Two custom timepieces made by Swiss watch brand Tudor for employee watch collector clubs at Apple and Google are up on the market.
Silicon Valley is a place where flashy watches can be spotted on the wrists of leaders like Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Ellison. The love of watches has bred collectors’ groups within some of the biggest companies.
A watch made for an employee group at Apple is up for bidding on watch auction house Loupe This, through February 25. The current bid as of Thursday afternoon stood at $13,500.
The style is part of Tudor’s Black Bay collection. Similar pre-owned models typically resell for around $3,000.
The limited Apple collectors group edition features a skull-and-crossbones pirate flag motif with deep ties to Apple’s history.
Loupe This
It’s a callback to the Steve Jobs era. The late CEO once said in a meeting, “It’s better to be a pirate than join the Navy,” and the members of the Macintosh team often referred to themselves as pirates, as a former employee described in a blog post. In a nod to those roots, the company flew a pirate flag over Apple’s headquarters for its 40th anniversary.
About 82 of these “pirate” watches were produced around 2021, according to the Loupe This listing.
A Tudor watch created in collaboration with Google’s watch collector group, Watches@, is also for sale on the vintage watch marketplace Wind Vintage.
It’s from Tudor’s Pelagos collection and features a Google-centric twist that tech fans may recognize: the Google Chrome Dino at the 6 o’clock position on the dial. The design is inspired by the Chrome Dino that pops up when your computer isn’t connected to the internet. It’s also the character in a game you can play on Google Chrome.
The watch, created in 2024, is listed for $14,900. A similar model sold at an auction on Loupe This last week for $10,451.
Other Pelagos models are reselling for around $4,000 on pre-owned watch marketplaces.
Loupe This
Apple, Google, and Tudor did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Loupe This cofounder Eric Ku said these sorts of collaborations come together through groups reaching out to companies like Tudor for customized watches with their logo and other changes, like an engraving.
They tend to sell for more than base models because of their limited quantities, Ku said, and they attract “real fans” of the brands they represent.
“For tech nerds like myself, the pirate flag is a symbol that has a long tradition of being used by the Apple folks,” Ku said. “Also, the imagery of that pirate flag is quite charming.”
