Words: Jonathan Wells
They say ‘time is money’. They also say ‘money is power’. Ergo, time is power. It’s no surprise, then, that some of the most powerful men on the planet take such care in picking out their timepieces. From Presidents to Prime Ministers, these leaders have power at their fingertips and time on their wrists – but what are their watches of choice?
It may be almost fifteen years old, but it remains to this day one of the Russian President’s wristwatches. A special edition from the Léman collection, the politician owns the stainless steel iteration. A 40mm case – which is relatively slim at just 11.4mm – this particular Aqualung harks back to the vintage Blancpain diving watches.
One feature added to the original design was the panoramic date complication at 6 o’ clock – the titular ‘Grande Date’. This appears to be Putin’s ‘official’ choice, as he has been pictured signing various pieces of legislation or appearing at political events wearing it, but the President also owns, amongst others, a Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar and a Blancpain Leman Flyback.
The former President of the United States may have made billions through various business endeavours over the years, but it seems he’s never been that bothered about what watch he straps on his wrist every morning. There has been speculation about Patek Philippe – not to mention the former President’s awful eponymous collection of faux-luxury timepieces launched a decade ago.
But the outright, and most clearly identifiable of his collection is the Rolex Day-Date. The raised glass of the cyclops makes this identification possible, but we still can’t be sure which model within the range Trump is sporting. Potentially, it is the 18 ct gold iteration – the first wristwatch to display the date and day of the week spelt out fully in a window. The dial is champagne, which befits a billionaire and the bracelet? Rolex’s ‘President’ model.
He’s sporty but suave, and his watch follows suit. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, is oft-voted the most stylish politician in the world, and his watch attests to the accolade. IWC’s Portuguese Regulateur is unique in the fact that it shows the hours, minutes and seconds on three different dials – design technique adopted usually by marine chronometers or clocks in observatories.
In this way, the watch stands apart from the crowd – just as Trudeau does. Many would be uncomfortable with how it works, but yet he understands it – a proficiency many would doubtlessly be heartened by. Trudeau has a silver example and, with a 46-hour power reserve and strength-coated sapphire front and back, it is a watch ready for anything.
The King enjoys hiding his watches under his sleeves, but we do know that he owns a watch from the decidedly young manufacturer Parmigiani Fleurier. Founded just two decades ago, this Swiss brand may seem a strange choice for the former Prince of Wales, but it is respected in the upper echelons of luxury.
The watch itself, the Toric, boasts a chronograph that can more than keep up with the royal’s days at the races, and uses the legendary Zenith El Primero Automatic Caliber – all packed inside a 39mm18k rose gold case – suitably regal.
When Kim Jong-Un was first photographed wearing his Movado Museum, many thought it was a women’s watch. But, despite the minimal style, it was in fact one of American watchmakers Movado’s designs; the Museum.
With a chic black dial, gold case and single gold dot at twelve o’clock, the Museum is a design classic, designed first in 1947 by Bauhaus-influenced artist Nathan George Horwitt – but it’s still an odd choice. Then again, last year Switzerland banned the export of watches to North Korea – so perhaps that’s why he’s had to go shopping outside the home of horology.
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