Austen Chu

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Austen Chu
Austen Chu-Portrait.jpg
Austen Chu in 2023
NationalityHong Kong, American
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur, watch collector
Known forFounder of Wristcheck
Website wristcheck.com

Austen Chu is a Hong Kong-born entrepreneur, watch collector, and influencer. He is the founder and CEO of Wristcheck (wristcheck.com), a luxury watch marketplace based in Hong Kong and New York. [1] Chu is also known for his Instagram account @horoloupe, where he shares insights into watch collecting and industry trends. Notable investors in Wristcheck include rapper Jay-Z and footballer Kylian Mbappé. [2]

Career

Chu began his watch collecting journey at a young age and launched the Instagram account @horoloupe in 2016, which quickly gained attention in the global watch community. He bought his first Audemars Piguet Royal Oak at age 18.

In 2020, Chu co-founded Wristcheck with Sean Wong, aiming to bring transparency and accessibility to the secondary watch market. The platform has grown into a prominent watch marketplace with locations in Hong Kong and New York. [3] In 2024, rapper Jay-Z and French footballer Kylian Mbappé were revealed as early investors. [4]

Chu also collaborated with Audemars Piguet in 2020 to design the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar China Edition, a limited edition of 88 pieces created exclusively for the Chinese market. [5]

In 2023, Chu was included in Forbes Asia's 30 Under 30 list in the Retail & E-commerce category. [6] Wristcheck raised $13.6 million across multiple rounds with backers including the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, Gobi Partners GBA, and K3 Ventures. [7]

References

  1. ↑ Hoffman, Andy (24 February 2023). "He Bought a Royal Oak at 18 and Now Wants to Disrupt Asia's Luxury Watch Market". Bloomberg.
  2. ↑ Ng, Josiah (19 October 2024). "Meet the founder and CEO of Jay-Z-backed Wristcheck, Austen Chu". South China Morning Post.
  3. ↑ Hoffman, Andy (24 February 2023). "He Bought a Royal Oak at 18 and Now Wants to Disrupt Asia's Luxury Watch Market". Bloomberg.
  4. ↑ Ng, Josiah (19 October 2024). "Meet the founder and CEO of Jay-Z-backed Wristcheck, Austen Chu". South China Morning Post.
  5. ↑ "Interview: Austen Chu AKA @horoloupe – The First Watch Collector to Collaborate with Audemars Piguet". Watchonista. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  6. ↑ "Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 2023: Retail & E-commerce". Forbes. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  7. ↑ "Rapper Jay-Z Backs Luxury Watch Trading Platform Wristcheck". Bloomberg. 2 July 2024.


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