Cristiano Ronaldo, the football phenomenon, renowned watch enthusiast, and as of recently, an investor, is combining his passion for timepieces with his business acumen through an investment in Chrono24, the established online marketplace for watches.
Ronaldo’s devotion to the world of horology isn’t an unfamiliar story. His collection of unique, often custom-made timepieces has earned him recognition among watch enthusiasts. Now, that passion extends into a direct stake in Chrono24, an enterprise known for fostering an international community of watch lovers.
“As a long-term watch collector and regular user of Chrono24, it’s a pleasure for me to become a shareholder in the company now,” Ronaldo professed. His investment, he noted, is an opportunity to participate in a “global unification” of watch lovers—an initiative that strikes a chord with his own global presence on the football field.
Cristiano Ronaldo‘s inclusion among the investors of Chrono24 comes as no surprise, considering the impressive roster it already boasts. Among its esteemed investors, it lists Aglae Ventures—Bernard Arnault’s family investment company, General Atlantic, Insight Partners, and Sprints Capital. These high-profile entities led Chrono24’s Series C round in August 2021, collectively investing $118 million. Today, Chrono24 enjoys a market valuation surpassing $1 billion.
Chrono24 CEO, Tim Stracke, praised Ronaldo’s contribution to the company, saying, “No one brings passion for luxury watches to the world stage quite like Cristiano.” Recognizing Ronaldo’s expert grasp of luxury and technology and his genuine enthusiasm for watch collecting, Stracke anticipates that Ronaldo’s influence will be instrumental in driving Chrono24’s global expansion.
According to Stracke, Ronaldo’s investment signals a significant vote of confidence. “The money itself will not change our trajectory, but having somebody like Cristiano Ronaldo as an investor shows a massive amount of trust.” And it’s this trust that plays a vital role in attracting more than 9 million unique visitors per month to the Chrono24 platform, which offers a wide range of new, pre-owned, and vintage watches from over 3,000 dealers and 30,000 private sellers spanning more than 100 countries.
Stracke also repeatedly emphasized the company’s commitment to customer satisfaction. “The key is that from the very beginning we focused on making our customers happy and providing superb service. There is nothing better than a happy customer sharing with others,” Stracke elaborated.
Cristiano Ronaldo, named one of Forbes’ Highest Paid Athletes for 2023, is not just a casual investor in the luxury watch market. He also serves as brand ambassador for Jacob & Co and possesses a collection of timepieces estimated to be worth $10 million. Among these is a custom variation Jacob & Co Bugatti Tourbillon Baguette, a stunning $1.5 million watch mirroring the opulence of his $3 million Bugatti.
Stracke also shared a tantalizing detail for the watch aficionados: During their meeting, Ronaldo was wearing a diamond-studded Franck Muller timepiece—a shining testament to his penchant for customized watches.
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