Hong Kong business tycoon Li Ka Shing can well afford to buy anything he wishes, and it therefore came as a surprise to many that the watch he currently wears appears quite modest even by an average professional's living standards.  

His watch of choice? A solar-powered Citizen Eco-Drive watch which is estimated to cost about US$500 (S$672.98), Asia One reported.

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It was during an in-depth interview with Bloomberg wherein the 88-year-old billionaire revealed his time piece of choice.

The Hong Kong billionaire also shared that he recently "upgraded" to the US$500 Citizen, and only wore a simple Seiko watch for decades, as he shunned the more pricey brands such as Rolexes, Panerais and Patek Philippes.

"You have five minutes, you can charge (it), you don't need to charge the battery, and you can go swimming," Li Ka Shing said, as he explained the reason for choosing the low-priced watch.

Queried on whether his friends chide him for his watch selection, his candid response was: "No, because they know my character."

He said that there is also a practical reason for deciding to pick up the eco-friendly watch.

"Suppose this watch is a hundred thousand dollars. I need to be careful," he shared. "But this is a few hundred US dollars, I can play golf, I go swimming, get any exercise, I don't need to be careful."

But the best part of the interview was when the Bloomberg reporter showed off her own watch to Li Ka Shing, a Audemars Piguet Royal Oak with a diamond bezel.

The wristwatch is estimated to cost 30 times as much as the Hong Kong businessman's frugal alternative.

Another interesting bit of information the billionaire shared during the interview was that he liked to set his watch 30 minutes before the actual time.

"Because even if I forget an appointment, anywhere in Hong Kong, I can be there in half an hour," Li Ka Shing said, as he not only disclosed the rationale behind his watch of choice but more importantly, his philosophy in life.

TagsLi Ka Shing Watch, Li Ka-shing, Citizen Eco-Drive Watch