08.07.2021 - Showbiz

Watches of the World Leaders

With worldwide politics and politicians so regularly seen on our screens we can’t help but be fascinated not only with their policies but how the big players stalking the corridors of power keep up with their unrelenting schedules? In addition to being curious about how they stay on time we’re also intrigued to see what style choices they make. In this article we take a look at the watches of world leaders and high profile politicians.

Donald Trump

The 45th President of the United States, who has made several cameo appearances in film and TV, been married three times and even flirted with producing his own line of watches, isn’t short of a few pieces of wristwear himself.

During the Presidential election campaign and on the 2016 election night, Trump sported a pink gold Vacheron Constantin Historiques Ultra-Fine 1968. Powered by a 1120 caliber automatic movement, the square watch case measures a slender 5.4mm.

Despite making some bad choices in life, including walking in front of the queen, he actually chooses some fairly stylish watches. He’s been spotted in both a Patek Philippe Ellipse and Rolex Day-Date.

But he’s not shy about flashing timepieces from his own collection of 20 Donald J Trump Signature watches, launched in 2015. These were sold exclusively by New York store Macy’s. The brand was said to utilise cheap quartz movements which led to its withdrawal from sale after only a year. The models are now selling for about £300 on ebay.

Vladimir Putin

The former Russian intelligence officer who took charge in 1999 following the resignation of Boris Yeltzin, President Putin is a great lover of watches. It’s widely reported that he is a fan of A Lange and Sohne but he is rarely photographed in any, other than the 1815 Up/Down in platinum.

Putin does, however, own an IWC Mark XVII that costs around £3,900. The watch featured in The Putin Interviews – a four-part series covering chats with film director Oliver Stone.

Kim Jong-Un

The world’s most unconventional leader is a lover of luxury timepieces but his problem is obtaining them. He has to work that bit harder to get them – and navigate his way around sanctions – as the UN bans the export of luxury items to North Korea due to its nuclear missile projects.

But he has been spotted wearing a less expensive watch – a quartz Museum Movado costing as little as £400.

With a chic black dial, gold case and single gold dot at twelve o’clock, it’s often mistaken for a ladies watch but the Museum is a design classic.

Justin Trudeau

The Canadian President, who has just won his second term, may be suave but clocking in higher than his polls, is his wristwear. The liberal leader rocks a stainless steel IWC Regulateur giving him more style in one arm than the UK Government has in its entire legislative body.

The hour is indicated in a sub dial at the 12 o’clock position and the minutes are displayed conventionally with hand from the centre which makes a full revolution every 60 minutes. To complete the layout the seconds are located in a sub dial at the 6 o’clock position.