We want to start by asking you a very simple question. When you want to know what time it is, do you look at your watch or does your hand reach out for your cellphone? Don’t let your answer worry you. When we want to know the time, we, too, mostly resort to our cellphones first just like you do. The main reason for this is that a watch is much more than a watch. To be more precise, showing the time is only one of a watch’s functions. Depending on its brand and model, your watch offers you many different functions all in one and it is not composed of any one of them alone. Moreover, your watch has also some intangible meanings and significances beyond tangible functions, and features that went beyond being a simple function. For example, like being a symbol of status. Or being a complement such that this complementariness has a very wide impact area. For example, your watch may be a complement for your dress, or your newly bought car, or your heirloom sailing boat. One of the main widely known but unwritten rules is, when choosing a car, to consider not only the price of the car but also the price of the watch suitable for that car. If your budget is not enough both for the car and the watch, then it’s very likely that you’re going for a car inappropriate for your budget.
Well, while the watch and the choice of watch are so important, do you think that the watch choices of the world leaders can be a coincidence, when they represent their countries in the international arena, or when they show up before their peoples they are liable for. Of course, they can’t. A leader’s choice of watch also tells us a lot about that leader’s personality, character and way of management. If you wish, let’s have a closer look at the watches of the world leaders who are shaping the world, and check the validity of our argument together.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are considered as two of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful leaders, but having looked at the watch choices of these two leaders, but when you see the watch choices of the two leaders, a small-scale surprise occurs. Both leaders prefer relatively low-budget and modest watches when they appear before their peoples and the world, but this should not mislead you, as it is known that Vladimir Putin owns a watch collection with an approximate total value of $1,000,000. Blancpain and Patek Phillipe are just two of the rarest pieces of this collection. While Kim Jong-un makes his choice for Movado Museum before his people, there isn’t much information about his personal preference behind the closed doors.
American President Donald Trump’s choice is his own brand Donald J Trump Signature Collection TR 1050 Chronograph worth $10,000. Speaking of American President, the choice of the former President Obama was a Jorg Gray 6500 Chronograph. The story of Obama’s watch is very meaningful. The American Secret Service agents in charge of protecting him present this watch to President Obama on his birthday and, contrary to the standard Jorg Gray 6500, the watch has the emblem of American Secret Service on the dial. Later, Jorg Grays with the Secret Service emblem were produced in a limited number and were offered for sale Secret Service’s gift shop. Another feature of the Jorg Grays with the Secret Service emblem is that their distinctive serial numbers are laser-engraved. Actually, it is not typical of the watches with this caliber to have distinctive serial numbers.
Another surprise comes from the Vatican. While Pope Francis, who is both a spiritual leader and the head of state, has a wealth worth about $32.3 million, he opts for a $13 worth Casio MQ24-7B. Taking into consideration that this is the choice of a leader who has to recommend people to do with less and stay away from the worldly pleasure and be happy with little things, it is understood that it is not so much a surprising choice. We have said, “A watch is never a watch only,” haven’t we?
If we go a bit further westwards, our eyes catch the IWC Regulateur IW544401, known for its simple design, worn by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, one of the world’s youngest leaders, who looks like a model rather a prime minister and well-known for his killer smile and has been on the radar of women all over the world as soon as he became the prime minister. While these timepieces carry the watch designs of the old time observatories and scout ships to the present day, they show the time in a different way. While the minute hand on the dial points exactly to the minute, the hour hand shows us the hour on a separate sub-dial. The price of this watch is approximately $10,000 and with the simplicity in its design, it flawlessly complements the image of this young prime minister, the leader of the Canadian Liberal Party.
Speaking of image completion, the watch preferences of the British Royal Family represent the inter-family hierarchy. While Queen Elizabeth II prefers an invaluable custom Gold Audemars Piguet, Prince Harry prefers a Rolex Explorer II 216570 with a price of approximately $11,000. Explorer is one of the most popular models of Rolex. Its birth dating back to 1950s, two different versions of this watch is currently in production. One is the 39mm version that is closer to the original in 1950s, and the other is the 42mm version adapted to modern tastes.
As we have come back eastwards from Canada, if you don’t mind, let’s go farther east to China. Known for his enigmatic personality, having an increasing impact not only in the People’s Republic of China but also in the world and described as the top leader of China, Secretary General of the Chinese Communist Party, the President, and Head of the Military Commission, Xi Jinping gave his preference to an Omega Constellation worth about $15,000. Actually, this watch choice is somewhat ironic with regard to being the preference of an Eastern leader challenging the economic superiority of the West, since Omega produced this watch in 1952, just a few years after the end of the war, with an inspiration from the Lockheed Constellation jet that made the allied forces win the war. In 1955, Omega replaced the 35x standard caliber with a fully automatic rotor and a pump calendar, but has kept the watch’s outer design unchanged at all since that time.
While still in the East, let’s go ahead for Japan and see which brand the Japanese leader, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe opted for. Yes sure, he went unsurprisingly for Seiko Automatic 29 SARC 013, a Japanese brand. This watch’s price is at about $1,000.
Well, what do you think of the situation in Switzerland, the motherland of the timepieces preferred not only by the whole world but also by the world leaders? President SchneiderAmmann prefers an Omega Dark Side of The Moon Vintage Black. In fact, these versions have no big differences than the Speedmaster Vintage Blacks. The Dark Side of The Moon models also comes with a 9300 caliber chronograph, a co-axial escapement, a 44,25mm ceramic case and dial. The point where the Dark Side of the Moon differs from the Speedmaster is the Super-LumiNova employed on the dial, calendar, hour and minute hands. The price of this timepiece is at about $12,000.
It would be possible, in general, to establish a bond between the watch preferences of the world leaders and the rankings on the world index of the countries they govern, in terms of transparency, regimes, corruption and unjustified wealth acquisition, but, if you don’t mind, let’s leave this job to its crackerjacks and rather focus on the subject which we have expertise in and enthusiasm for, that is, the watches.
