Looking back at our favourite wrist watches as worn by American Presidents, past and present.
President Franklin Roosevelt wore a Tiffany watch with movado movement - he also, like presidents before him, had a highly engraved pocket watch, but was often seen sporting his Tiffany gold dial watch with brown leather strap.
Dwight D Eisenhower got his steel Heuer chronograph (yes Heuer was the precursor to todays Tag Heuer) when he was stationed in Germany during the second world war.
He was also the first President to wear a Rolex. Not just any Rolex; General Eisenhower's Rolex was personalised, with his initials "DDE", plus the markings of a five star general.
Some say he was also given a second Rolex Day-date model in honour of his re-election in 1956 - the year of the Day-Date launch.
Harry S Truman was not known for following fashion trends for anything other than with his watches. He wore the most current popular chronograph at the time in 1945, a universal-geneve Tri-Compax. The watch had so many admirers thanks in part to its very complicated, but rather elegant, styling.
Truman also owned a Flying Officer’s Chronograph made by the Swiss firm Gallet. The Flying Officer had a distinct look, with rotating bezel and world time zones around the edge.
Skipping forward to JFK who wore a Omega Ultra Thin given to him by Florida Senator Grant Stockdale, and personalised on the back.
The watch JFK has become most notoriously associated with however, was an 18k gold Rolex Day-Date. It was allegedly a birthday present from Marilyn Monroe, and was given in 1962, when she famously sang “Happy Birthday Mr. President”, Engraved with “JACK, With love as always, from MARILYN, May 29th 1962”. It was couriered to the President who reportedly said 'get rid of it'. There is no record of him ever being seen with or wearing the watch, but the legend continues all the same.
His wife Jacqueline Kennedy gave him a Louis Cartier Tank watch on their fourth wedding anniversary in 1957, and it was this watch he was wearing when he was assassinated in 1963.
Lyndon B. Johnson is known to have owned a rather special Patek Philippe - a gold dial with the words "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You" across it.
Here we should mention the Vulcan Cricket calendar watch - LBJ loved these watches, (his even had his initial on the dial) and, since his time as President, Vulcan have given an individual version to each President. Its not known if they all wore them.
Not sure what these watch aficionados would have thought of President Ford’s digital watch, but it was in the mid -1970s, at the height of digital watch mania. If you’re interested it was a Hamilton Pulsar - the worlds first digital watch brand.
During his presidential campaign and the early years of his presidency, President Clinton wore but one watch: a humble Timex Ironman Triathlon. He received quite a bit of grief for this - with Omega even running an advertising campaign suggesting he should give it up for something more ‘Presidential’! Numerous articles and interviews calling him a techie nerd, and the watch an ‘Unsightly Blemish’.
Since leaving the White House Clinton has become a luxury watch collector - with rather good taste- and has been seen with a Panerai PAM89 GMT, a Franck Muller, a Roger Dubuis MuchMore, a Kobold Seal, and a gold Cartier Ballon Bleu. Much nicer!
During his campaign and run up to presidency President Obama was seen often wearing a Tag Heuer white dial, from the Series 15000.
He then began wearing a large Jorg Gray chronograph, with a black dial, given to him on his birthday (Aug. 4) by three members of his Secret Service detail. The watch bears the Secret Service seal.
President Trump has an on/off relationship with luxury watches -even launching his own brand.
Trump has been seen wearing a yellow gold Patek Philippe Ellipse with blue dial and integrated bracelet.
Trump was spotted wearing the elegant Vacheron Constantin Historiques Ultra-Fine 1968 in pink gold back in 2015 and on election night. Hes been photographed in a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date as well.
The latest American {almost} President has been seen with an excellent choice of watch on his wrist. Peeking out from the sleeves of Biden’s smart suit is usually a black Omega Seamaster Diver 300M.
Though recently, whilst speaking to voters on a train, he had a Seiko 7T32-6M90 Chronograph on full display. The watch with a gold bezel, pretty complicated with a chronograph and alarm function but is very easily affordable for less than $100. An effort to keep in touch with the people perhaps?
