Recently, President Donald Trump invited high-ranking politicians from all over the world for a meeting in the white house. In light of the still existing issues between Russia and Ukraine and following the recently held meeting between Trump and Putin it was labelled as a kind of summit meeting regarding this crisis showing international concern. The meeting involved Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French president Emmanuel Macron, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, German chancellor Friedrich Merz, British prime minister Keir Starmer, Finnish president Alexander Stubb, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni and NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte.
This event made it possible to spot the various watches these political figures were rocking.
Donald Trump
Donald Trump has been spotted wearing various different watches over the years, however three of them appeared most often. In spite of the fact that he often wears his own watch brand called ‘Trump Watches’ (not my personal taste to be honest, and probably not the first choice of watch nerds) we want to focus on the classic pieces he has in his collection.
Firstly, he was often seen wearing a Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse Ref. 3738, especially in combination with his golf outfit when playing. Secondly, he also owns a Rolex Day-Date Ref. 18038 in yellow gold. Thirdly, a watch he often pairs with his suit is the Vacheron Constantin Historiques Ultra-fine 1968.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was seen wearing two different TAG Heuer watches over the years. A picture from a long time ago shows him wearing a TAG Heuer Monaco Automatic Chronograph; an iconic watch first made famous by Steve McQueen in the 1970’s. A more recent picture of Zelenskyy shows him wearing a 45 mm TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Calibre Heuer 01.
Emmanuel Macron
French president Emmanuel Macron has a difficult relationship with luxury watches. After a scandal that arose from a heated discussion in 2023 about raising the official pension age in France from 62 to 64 years, where he was seen removing his watch 10 minutes into the discussion under the table he was titled ‘president of the rich’. The watch he was wearing during that interview was a Bell & Ross BR V1 92 with a specific, yet unidentifiable coat of arms engraved on the back; maybe a special edition or something personal?
After that scandal he was mostly spotted wearing a more moderate watch by a French company called March lab. The model is called AM 69 electric, and features a case size of 36 mm, an off-center crown at 4 o’clock and a white dial.
Friedrich Merz
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has been spotted wearing two different watches. The one which is more recognizable is probably his Rolex Explorer II 16570 with a white dial. Additionally, he owns a classical watch that is probably a Union Glashütte Noramis in steel with a white dial and black leather strap.
Vladimir Putin
Finally, a character not involved in this meeting, yet still a crucial political figure and a known watch connoisseur is president Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. He has an extensive watch collection; however, we want to highlight 3 very important pieces. Putin has been spotted several times with the amazing F.P. Journe Chronometre Bleu, a stunning watch by an amazing independent watchmaker. Furthermore, he owns a Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5039J in 18K yellow gold. Two heavy hitters any watch lover would kill for to once own.
The most outstanding piece in his collection is probably his Patek Philippe Ref. 5208, which was sold at Auction in Monaco by Antiquorum in July 2017 for a whopping 1.062.000 €. Even though he has an alleged modest salary of 140.000 $ he is considered one of the richest human beings, and could therefore easily have enough influence to have bought the watch directly from Patek. His name was explicitly mentioned on the papers, which is normally done by Patek directly, since they want to know who they sell their watches to.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the watches these figures wear say a lot about who they are. Trump chooses classic, well-known models that aren’t out of reach, showing both a sense of class and a connection to ordinary people. Merz prefers straightforward but high-quality pieces, reflecting his appreciation for precision and craftsmanship. Putin, on the other hand, wears watches that underline his authority, influence, and his surprisingly refined taste in high-end collecting.
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