Who wouldn’t want to know the horological tastes of the leader of the free world? Learning about any presidential watch is compelling. Here are some of the most compelling.
In John C. Maxwell’s book Laws of Leadership, lesson 19 is The Law of Timing. This fundamental principle asserts that knowing when to lead is as important as the what and where of an initiative. Indecision and hasty decisions can make all the difference in whether a plan is good or bad.
So naturally, the topic of presidential watches is fascinating to both history buffs and the horologically inclined. The US president, after all, is a consequential leader. He’s not a figurehead.
Of course, every president responsibly kept a timekeeper. Here, however, are a few interesting ones — a Mount Rushmore of US presidents watches, if you will.
9 Compelling Presidential Watches
I, of course, had to start with the founding founding father, President Washington.
George Washington’s Quarter Repeater
This watch is on display at the New York Historical Society and is special because of the gifter. Colonel Thomas Johnson was the first governor of Maryland and nominated George Washington as the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in 1775.
Colonel Johnson gave this pocket watch to Washington in 1777.
It’s even engraved on the back with “Trenton N.J. / Dec. 10th, 1777. / Presented to my Friend / Col. Thos. Johnson of Md. / as a Memento / of my great Esteem. / Geo. Washington.”
It’s a lovely yellow-gold timekeeper, not unlike other pocket watches at the time. However, it had the extra function of being able to, in 15-minute advancements, chime the time down.
Andrew Jackson’s William Hunter Watch
This watch is important for two reasons.
First, it’s the first presidential watch to show personal tastes. President Jackson was a fan of Hunter, a Liverpool-based watchmaker.
Second, the story of how it was unearthed is pretty fun. In 1980, a couple found a cabinet behind a wall in their new home. Inside was this watch, as well as several bottles of illegal whiskey. The bottles were wrapped in 1924 New York Times newspapers.
The last person to possess the watch was Albert Jackson, President Jackson’s great-grandson. He and the Hunter timepiece disappeared in 1925, never to be heard from again. The watch is now part of The Hermitage collection in Tennessee.
Abraham Lincoln’s Pocket Watch With a Secret Message
President Lincoln purchased this English pocket watch from a jeweler in Illinois.
In 2009, the Smithsonian Museum opened it to find a message from Jonathan Dillon. Dillon engraved the message when President Lincoln brought it to him to be serviced right at the start of the Civil War.
In the message, Dillon mentions the Fort Sumpter attack and thanks God that “We have government.”
Interestingly, Dillon and Lincoln never met, and the president never knew about the message.
President FDR’s Birthday Present from Tiffany & Co
Franklin Delano Roosevelt gained popularity for his progressive policies. Another thing he was progressive on? He was the first president to start wearing wristwatches.
Tiffany & Co. built the original CT60, which was given to President Roosevelt on his birthday in 1945. He even wore it during the Yalta Conference, the result of which denazified Germany.
This Tiffany watch featured a day and date, as well as a chronograph function.
Dwight D Eisenhower’s Datejust (Otherwise Known As Not a Day-Date)
The Rolex Day Date is also called the Rolex Presidential. Part of this has to do with the fact that people mistakenly thought that President Eisenhower wore it. (This is similar to how the Explorer II is known as “the McQueen” despite McQ never having worn it.)
Ike instead wore a Datejust. He was the first president to wear a Rolex — that we know of. Datejusts look a bit like Day-Dates, so people erroneously ID’d Eisenhower’s watch in old, grainy photos.
Rolex offered President Eisenhower the gift of their 150,000th Chronometer. He had it personalized with his initials on five stars, a symbol of his accomplishments as a five-star general.
John F. Kennedy’s Actual Day-Date
Likely because several presidents did wear Day Dates, Rolex kept the nickname. John F. Kennedy was one of these presidents.
Kennedy wore many luxury watches, most famously the small square-shaped Omega that Jacquelyn Kennedy loved.
However, the Day-Date is infamous because Marylin Monroegave it to him. The back even has an engraving. It’s made out to a very familiar “Jack”, then signs off “with love as always”.
To this day, the alleged affair between Kennedy and Monroe is without solid evidence.
Lyndon B. Johnson’s Affirmation-Clad Patek Philippe
While President Johnson most famously wore a Rolex (a Day-Date, of course), I want to spotlight his Patek 2526.
First off, Johnson was the first president known to sport a Patek Philippe. Second, he wore an important model. Reference 2526 was the first automatic watch ever built by the brand.
The watch’s most immediately unique quality is its dial. On it, the words “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” make a circle around the center dial.
Ronald Reagan’s Love for Rolex
President Reagan was famously fond of Rolex. He wore several models throughout his life in and out of the Oval Office.
However, he wore a steel Rolex Datejust most often, especially during his presidency. That makes him one of the few presidents (already mentioned here) in the Rolex club.
President Reagan almost always wore this watch with a Jubilee bracelet. We know this for a fact. There are several photos of him doing chores on his ranch, wearing the watch case on his inner wrist. This gives us a full view of the beautiful bracelet.
George W. Bush’s America Timex
Not all presidents wore luxury models or engraved pieces. Bush 2 preferred a no-frills timepiece and often sported a Timex Easy Reader.
He wore a gold-colored model on a black leather strap. Appropriately, an American flag is printed right below the 12 on the dial.
President Bush is so closely associated with this model that Timex collaborated with the George W. Bush Presidential Center. The resulting collab is a modernized version of the Easy Reader the president wore.
Additionally, the center’s name is stamped on the front, and an engraving with the president’s signature is on the back.
Conclusion: The Fascinating World of US Presidents Watches
When it comes to more recent presidential watches, both President Trump and President Biden have also joined the Rolex club. Biden has a Datejust 126200, and Trump has a Day-Date 18038.
In another cool president-to-president exchange, Donald Trump actually won President Reagan’s Colibri watch in a charity auction. This was back in 1999, so it was more of a would-be president exchange via third parties.
Which presidential watch is your favorite? Or, which story did you find most interesting? Let us know in the comments!
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