Sam Altman’s rare OpenAI luxury Swiss watches bring AGI vision to the wrist

Sam Altman’s OpenAI is increasingly extending its identity beyond software, with the company’s culture and ambitions appearing in unexpected physical forms. As artificial intelligence firms compete to shape the next generation of technology, their branding is also becoming part of a wider lifestyle around employees, executives and enthusiasts. 

Must Read: Claude Cowork gets shared memory with chat: What it means for you

For OpenAI, that image is closely tied to its pursuit of artificial general intelligence, or AGI. The company has now found another way to put that philosophy in front of a select group, combining luxury craftsmanship with references familiar to those following OpenAI’s ambitions and Silicon Valley’s growing fascination with exclusive timepieces.

Sam Altman orders seven custom OpenAI watches

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman commissioned seven custom watches from Swiss luxury watchmaker Vanguart, according to The Wall Street Journal. The ultra-limited timepieces are based on Vanguart’s Orb model, whose standard titanium version starts at around $180,000.

The watches feature OpenAI branding and several references to the company’s technology culture. “COMPUTE IS DESTINY” is engraved around the rotor, while scaling appears on the crown. The case back carries the Python-inspired inscription “if AGI.aligned: deploy()”, directly referencing OpenAI’s pursuit of AGI.

Must Read: Zero retention vs data logs: OpenAI and Anthropic take different safety routes to detect harmful activity

According to the WSJ report, Vanguart chairman and co-founder Mehmet Koruturk said the design reflects the idea that AI should be used for peaceful purposes. Nearly one-third of Vanguart’s 33 employees worked on the OpenAI project. The Swiss watchmaker has produced fewer than 200 watches to date, adding to the rarity of the seven-piece collection.

OpenAI has another luxury watch collection

The Vanguart watches are not OpenAI’s first branded timepieces. According to the WSJ, the company also worked with Tudor, a Rolex-affiliated brand, to produce 400 OpenAI-branded watches featuring the company’s logo and the phrase “Good Research Takes Time” on the back.

The trend extends beyond OpenAI, with companies including Meta, Amazon and Adobe exploring limited-edition watches. Some technology-branded models have also attracted significant premiums in the resale market, highlighting the growing overlap between Silicon Valley culture and luxury watch collecting.