There is no doubt that between the date of the American election, on November 3, and that of his inauguration as President of the United States, on January 20, Joe Biden has certainly found the time long. Precisely, with what watch has he followed the course of hours and days for two and a half months? And what model will he wear when taking the oath?
Tissot, Seiko, Omega
As you can imagine, the new president has several pieces. Since the beginning of his collaboration with Barack Obama, in 2009, then during his two terms as vice-president until 2017 and, finally, during his electoral campaign, we have seen him wear various watches signed Tissot, Seiko or Omega according to its appearances on television, in meetings or various events. The manifestation of a great eclecticism in its watchmaking preferences.
A faithful of the T-Touch
The most accessible is undoubtedly the Tissot T-Touch (or rather the many T-Touch in its possession), whose multiple functions are controlled by a touch screen. Equally general public is its Seiko reference 7T32-6M90, a two-tone chronograph easily identifiable thanks to its push buttons which appear on either side of the case.
The choice of an Omega Speedmaster, for its part, reflects the new president’s attachment to watchmaking icons and the great times in American history. Should we remember that the astronaut Neil Armstrong wore a model of this type, moreover since called “Moonwatch”, when he set foot on the Moon in July 1969? A special year for Joe Biden since it saw him join the Democratic Party and begin his political career, the next step of which was his election to the Senate in 1972.
Seamaster and Vulcain Cricket?
The famous Speedmaster is not the only Omega to appear in its collection since it also has a Seamaster Diver 300M, a high-level certified “master chronometer” watch, water-resistant to 300 meters, as its name is. indicated. But a question arises: the 46e President of the United States, after his inauguration, will he receive the same gift as his predecessors, namely a Vulcain Cricket alarm clock? The answer remains unresolved, the brand having proved rather discreet in recent years. This tradition was born in 1953 when the association of photographers of the White House offered Harry Truman, at the end of his second mandate, this timepiece created in 1947. An initiative that gave the idea to the managers of this Swiss watch brand, founded in 1858, to present a personalized watch to each new occupant of the Oval Office. Eisenhower, Nixon, Clinton (great Panerai fan) wore it, which does not seem to have really been the case with Obama who used his TAG Heuer Aquaracer or a Jorg Gray made in California on a daily basis. This does not prevent Cricket from retaining the nickname “Presidents’ Watch”. It is not known whether the watch George Bush was stolen in 2007 during a walkabout was a Vulcan or some other model. As for Donald Trump, who had also received his Cricket, he is at the head of a collection bringing together very high-end manufacture parts and a brand called quite simply.
From George Washington to Eisenhower
Going back further in history, the first American president, George Washington, in office from 1789 to 1797, took note of the time on the dial of a Breguet. Abraham Lincoln, elected in 1860, owned a Waltham which is now housed in the Smithsonian Museum in the federal capital. Another of his watches is legendary for a very specific reason: this pocket model powered by an English mechanism had been entrusted for overhaul to a watchmaker named Jonathan Dillon. The latter engraved inside the case a message intended for the president which he did not mention to anyone. Without realizing it, Lincoln therefore wore engraved words with him for a long time to thank him for his fight against slavery during the Civil War. A secret that the watchmaker did not reveal until 1906, long after Lincoln’s death.
The only president of the United States to have been elected four times, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was also the first to enter the era of wristwatches by appearing with a Tiffany & Co. Movado with triple calendar in the 1940s. Hero of the Second World War, General Dwight D. Eisenhower remained faithful to his gold Rolex Datejust engraved with his initials when he occupied the White House for two terms, between 1953 and 1961.
Kennedy’s selection
Ike’s successor, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 35e President of the United States, was divided between a barrel-shaped Bulova, a rectangular Cartier Tank, a square Omega Slimline (on display today at the brand’s museum in Biel) and a round Nastrix, all four in gold. As for Kamala Harris, new American vice-president, one can imagine without great risk of being mistaken that she will wear on her wrist her Ballon bleu de Cartier during the inauguration ceremony of Joe Biden. New hours for America …
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