Leaders wear a Swatch watch more often than you might expect. In this article, I explore why leaders choose Swatch and what this says about power, status and personal branding.
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Why leaders choose a Swatch watch instead of luxury brands
Yes, let these be no confusion I am talking about the brand with the plastic straps. The watch you can pick up without paying through the nose in just about every jeweler. Better said the watch you can pick up in just about every department store. I personally never saw the attraction. I am not a fan of plastic watches, but apparently, high-flying men are.
CEOs who wear Swatch watches
I am talking about the likes of Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of the international investment bank Goldman Sachs. Steve Schwarzman, the co-founder of American private equity investment management firm Blackstone, is also a fan of the plastic straps. He has sported several in different bright colors, including a model with various images of St. Tropez, where this billionaire has a vacation home. The list includes former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, hedge fund manager Chris Hohn, and Peter Kraus, CEO of asset investment management firm AllianceBernstein. To top it off, even the boss of luxury watch brand Patek Phillipe wears a Swatch Chrono when skiing.
Why leaders love to wear a Swatch watch
So we see the high flyers love Swatch watches. But what’s the secret? What is the power of this watch? Even the company itself does not know the answer. It probably has to do with people increasingly valuing comfort. In our busy digital world, where you can even make phone calls with your watch, the leaders are looking for simplicity. And this is not a bad thing. You also show a little of your personality with a Swatch. It is a way of communicating. By wearing this watch, you show, for example, your love for simplicity and practicality. To illustrate, Schwarzman loves to swim, and Swatch’s plastic straps dry super fast.
Yes, life doesn’t have to be so crazy. I think that wearing a super practical watch is also the ultimate way to show that you are content with yourself. You don’t have to prove yourself with thousands of dollars on your wrist; you know you’re more than enough as you are. And that is so refreshing.
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