For everyone but the world’s wealthiest billionaires, a $24 million house is a very big expense. But for horology buff Zach Lu, a young gentleman still in his early 30s, it’s quite literally just a new watch or two.
Way back in 2014, Lu stunned watch enthusiasts by paying a reported $17.3 million for a one-of-one Patek Philippe watch, a near-record at that time and an amount that still makes it one of the most expensive watches ever publicly sold. Seven years later, Lu spent another $6.5 million to buy a rare Tiffany & Co. Patek Nautilus at the Phillips New York auction. That’s nearly $24 million just for those two pieces, and Lu has numerous other watches in his collection.
That sort of spending power has also earned Lu fame and access to celebrities. In 2019, the USC graduate became an investor in Mark Wahlberg’s Municipal golf apparel brand, and he’s developed a profile as one of the world’s most public-facing watch enthusiasts. Today, he sports more than 133,000 followers on Instagram and frequently appears at major watch-related events and such. But somewhere in between all that horological fun, he’s also found time to shell out the aforementioned $24 million for a sleek new house in Beverly Hills.
Built on speculation over a period of several years, the ultra-contemporary mansion is the handiwork of Paul McClean, the Irish architect known for designing many of L.A.’s most extravagant contemporary homes. This particular 10,500-square-foot creation lies on a secluded cul-de-sac in Trousdale Estates, arguably Beverly Hills’ most desirable neighborhood pocket.
From the street, the house is a lesson in bleak austerity, with an entirely windowless and concrete façade more akin to a secret government research facility than the average rich person’s sunny SoCal mansion. But behind those walls lies a hedonistic six bedroom, nine bathroom structure that pampers its occupants with opulent amenties: a soundproof and state-of-the-art movie theater with reclining seating for 10, a gym with a dry sauna and separate massage room, and an 8-car garage—just in case Lu happens to be a car enthusiast as well as a watch lover.
The house offers two separate kitchens: a magazine-ready eat-in kitchen with Wolf appliances and a separate catering kitchen tucked away, well out of guests’ sight. The rest of the house is similarly modern, with hard lines everywhere and walls of glass throughout.
Upstairs, the primary bedroom suite flaunts exceptional eastward views that sweep over the Hollywood Hills and down toward the cities of Burbank and Glendale. Other amenities include an infinity pool and a heated loggia with al fresco dining and lounging areas.
Little is publicly known about Lu’s origins or his family’s net worth, but we do know that his parents have connections to several offshore companies—and they’ve clearly been wealthy for a long time. They also have a taste for midcentury modern architecture; property records show that way back in 2007, they paid cash for a glamorous Buff & Hensman-designed 1970s home in the L.A. suburb of San Marino, Calif.
The Lu family sold that San Marino house in 2015 for about $8.6 million; it was subsequently restored to its peak showpiece glory before recently changing hands again, this time for nearly $12 million.
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