OpenAI appears to be giving its employees some exceptionally exclusive perks, and they go well beyond the company’s usual merchandise. Alongside caps, T-shirts and other branded items—and even the roughly 400 custom Tudor watches made for employees—the company has reportedly gifted something far more limited.
The latest gifts are custom Swiss watches from Vanguart, based on the independent watchmaker’s futuristic titanium Orb model, which starts at around $180,000, or approximately Rs 1.5 crore.
According to the Wall Street Journal, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman commissioned seven customised Vanguart watches. One was made for Altman, while the remaining six were given to other people at OpenAI.
The watches feature an unmistakable AI-inspired design. Images published by the WSJ show the OpenAI logo along with several references to artificial intelligence. The phrase “COMPUTE IS DESTINY” is engraved around the rotor, while “SCALING” appears on the crown pusher.
The back of each watch carries the inscription “if AGI.aligned: deploy()”, written in a Python-like coding style. Vanguart co-founder Axel Leuenberger said the design was intended to reference the idea that AI should ultimately be deployed for peaceful purposes.
Vanguart chairman and co-founder Mehmet Koruturk said around one-third of the company's 33 employees worked on the OpenAI project. The watches feature sporty rubber straps and can be operated using either automatic or manual winding.
An extremely rare watch
The limited-edition pieces are particularly unusual because Vanguart itself has produced fewer than 200 watches in total across its entire history.
The OpenAI watches therefore represent only a tiny fraction of the Swiss company's overall production.
They are also not the first expensive or exclusive watches associated with OpenAI employees.
Earlier this month, Boris Power, OpenAI's head of applied research, posted a picture of a custom OpenAI Tudor watch on X. Around 400 of those watches were reportedly produced, with the OpenAI logo on the dial and the phrase “Good Research Takes Time” engraved on the back.
Sam Altman's luxury watch collection
Altman himself is known to have an interest in high-end watches. He has previously been seen wearing luxury timepieces, including a Greubel Forsey watch reportedly valued at around $650,000.
His collection of luxury possessions extends well beyond watches. Altman owns a Koenigsegg Regera, a Swedish hypercar reportedly worth approximately $2 million, as well as a McLaren F1. His McLaren is estimated to be worth around $20 million.
He has also owned several high-value properties, including a Hawaii estate, a ranch in Napa Valley and multiple homes in San Francisco.
The Hawaii property, purchased in 2021, was reportedly listed for $49 million in 2025 before being withdrawn from the market in 2026. The nearly 22-acre estate includes a main residence, guesthouse, swimming pool, sports court and private marina.
A closer look at the Vanguart Orb and the seven OpenAI watches would make for an interesting comparison with Altman's other luxury timepieces.
