A President's Day Look At What U.S. Chief Executives Have Worn On Their Wrists

With President’s Day here, and with this year being an Election year, it is interesting to take a look at what our presidents have worn on their wrists. In fact, just the other night, former President Bill Clinton was seen with candidate Hillary Clinton and daughter Chelsea, where both father and daughter were wearing Shinola watches.

Over the years, our presidents have worn everything from inexpensive to expensive watches — both gifts and self-purchases — to time their moments in the White House.

Way back to our first president, George Washington, watches accompanied our leaders. Washington owned a Jean-Antoine Lepine pocket watch during his presidency, and Thomas Jefferson, our third president, and James Monroe, our fifth president, each owned a pocket watch made by Parisian watchmaker, Daniel Vaucher. Monroe also wore a Gabriel pocket watch. Abraham Lincoln famously wore an American-made Waltham watch.

Years later, several of our presidents (including Harry Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower) were seen wearing Vulcain Cricket alarm watches. Franklin Delano Roosevelt wore a calendar watch by Tiffany & Co., whose movement was a Movado. Post-WWII presidents also went with top-notch Swiss watches. John F. Kennedy, in the early 1960s, wore a Cartier and an Omega. Later, Richard Nixon wore a Vulcain Cricket alarm watch, as did Lyndon Baines Johnson, who also owned and proudly wore a Rolex.

The list goes on and on. President Barack Obama has been seen wearing a Jorg Gray, a TAG Heuer and a Shinola. What the next president wears remains to be seen.