Barack
Obama's Watches
Watch
collectors are different. We watch movies,
read magazines, and study videos -- not
for the usual type of entertainment, not
for the intended content -- but to see
which watches the stars and celebrities
are wearing. Whether we are looking for
Steve McQueen with an "orange hand" Rolex,
trying to identify Jerry Seinfeld's
vintage Heuer Autavia, or seeing whether
Paul Newman is wearing a "Paul Newman", we
focus on the watches.
So
in the United States, in the year 2008, it
is not surprising that there is a new
subject of such intense horological focus.
In September 2008, the most photographed
and filmed person is no longer Tiger Woods
with his TAG-Heuer (as he is recovering
from knee surgery), and it is no longer
Michael Phelps (as the Olympic torch has
been doused). Rather, the most
photographed person in the U.S. of A. in
September 2008 seems to be the Democratic
nominee for the U. S. Presidency, Senator
Barack Obama.
So
which watch does Barack Obama wear? That
seems like a simple enough question. No
sooner had he hit the campaign trail, in
early 2007, than the "watch guys" started
studying the photos, trying to identify
his watch. And he was an easy study. With
an image for being somewhat casual, and
summertime tours through the Southern
states, he often rolled up his sleeves.
And when he rolled up his sleeves, the
watch freaks saw a big, stylish watch . .
. not the usual plastic Timex or Casio, so
popular among those running for office (or
in office), but a large, light-dialed
sport style watch.
But
was this watch? The discussion forums came
alive. Most experts saw a light-dialed
TAG-Heuer sports watch . . . probably
either a Series 1000 or Series 2000 . . .
one of the common quartz watches of the
mid-1990's.
Then
suddenly, something strange happened late
in the year 2007. In the place of this
rather common TAG-Heuer, the experts
spotted a huge black Panerai; others saw a
black-dialed Carrera re-issue; and still
others saw a Royal Oak, something that
Governor Schwarzenegger might wear. Wow!!
Could this be true? That rather than
switching from the TAG-Heuer to the
nondescript Timex or Casio, Senator Obama
was actually stepping up his horological
game? Could it be that he had gone from
Wal-Mart to Wempe? What would the
pollsters say? What would McCain say?
Could this man of the people, the law
professor and community organizer, be
wearing a high-end Swiss watch? What would
the Japanese say? Suddenly, the watch guys
began to spread the rumor that Obama was
also a watch guy!
This
webpage will explore the mystery of
Senator Barack Obama's watches. Which
watches has he worn? When did he wear each
of them? Why did he switch from the simple
three-handed sport watch to the massive
three-register black chronograph? And what
does this mean for the future of democracy
in America?
As
is so often the case, upon closer
inspection, things are not as they first
appear to be . . .
Jeff
Stein, September 25, 2008; updated,
October 7, 2008
Copyright, Jeffrey M. Stein, 2008, all
rights reserved
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Barack
Obama and His
TAG-Heuer
A
careful examination of the available
photographs suggests that Barack Obama
wore a TAG-Heuer Series 1500 Two-Tone
Divers watch, from the early or mid-1990's
until late 2007. Over this period, this
seems to have been his "daily wearer", the
one and only watch that he wore over this
period of 10 or 15 years.
Of
the thousands of photos of Senator Obama
that we find on the internet, from Google
to Flickr to Getty, the following are some
favorite photos that capture the spirit of
Senator Obama and his watch. You can click
on any of these images, to see a close-up
photo of the watch.
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A
Day With Senator Obama --
Chicago, IL, December 8, 2004 --
Senator Barack Obama gets ready
at his home before leaving to
give the keynote address at the
Chicago Economic Club in Chicago,
Illinois. (Photo by Charles
Ommanney/Getty Images)
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SELMA,
AL - MARCH 04, 2007: Democratic
Presidential candidate Senator
Barack Obama waits to address a
crowd gathered for the
commemoration of the 1965 Voting
Rights March at Brown Chapel AME
Church March 4, 2007 in Selma,
Alabama. In the 1965 march which
was to go from Selma to
Montgomery, Alabama police used
tear gas and beat back the
marchers when they reached the
Pettus Bridge. (Photo by Scott
Olson/Getty
Images)
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INDIANOLA,
IA - SEPTEMBER 17, 2006: Barack
Obama Campaigns For Senator Tom
Harkin: U.S. Senator Tom Harkin
(D-IA) puts his arm around U.S.
Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) while
shaking supporters hands after
speaking during the 29th Harkin
Steak Fry at the Warren County
Fairgrounds in Indianola, Iowa.
(Photo by Scott Morgan/Getty
Images)
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In
addition to these favorites, here are some
"quickies" . . . photos showing Barack
Obama, on the campaign trail, with his
trusty TAG-Heuer, all along the
way.
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Barack
Obama's Secret Service
Chronograph
On
the occasion of his 46th birthday, on
August 4, 2007, Barack Obama received a
gift from the Secret Service agents who
had been responsible for protecting him
during his Presidential campaign -- a
large, black-dialed chronograph bearing
the shield of the Secret Service. This
chronograph was purchased by the Secret
Service agents in the Secret Service
employees' store, located at Secret
Service headquarters in Washington, D.C.
(You can read more about the relationship
between Obama and his Secret Service
details, here.)
The
Secret Service chronograph given to
Senator Obama by the Secret Service agents
is a private label watch available only in
the Secret Service employees' store. The
watch is manufactured for the Secret
Service store by Jorg Gray, and appears in
the
Jorg Gray online
catalog
as the JGC6500 Chronograph. The
chronograph is made in China, with a
Japanese movement. (Click on any of the
following images, to see an
enlargement.)
The
following are key features of this
watch:
- Design
-- oversized chronograph, with
tri-compax design -- 24-hour indicator
at three o'clock, continuous seconds at
six o'clock and chronograph minutes at
nine o'clock; quick-set date at 4:30
position; luminous markers and
hands.
- The
Case and Crystal -- The case is
stainless steel, with the top bezel
being base metal; screw-back case;
marked water resistant to 10 ATM; domed
plastic crystal
- Measurements
-- The chronograph measures 41
millimeters across the dial (not
counting the crown); 47 millimeters
from top of top lug to bottom of bottom
lug; thickness of 13.5 millimeters
(from case-back to top of domed
crustal; 22 millimeters between the
lugs (strap wdith).
- The
Movement -- This chronograph is
powered by the Miyota Caliber OS-20
movement. The OS20 movement is a 13-1/2
ligne movement (30.80 mm), with a
height of 5.10 mm, accurate to within
20 seconds per month. Here are
full
specifications
of the OS20 movement. Miyota is a
subsidiary of Citizen Watch Co., LTD.
Japan. These OS20 movements are
available from supply houses in the
United States at a price of
approximately $25 per movement, as
shown
here.
This
Secret Service chronograph sells for
approximately $210 in the employees'
store. This store is operated by the
United States Secret Service Employee
Recreation Association ("ERA"), and all
profits from the store go to charities
supported by the ERA. The employees' store
is not open to the public; accordingly,
these "Barack Obama Secret Service
Chronographs" are destined to remain
scarce among the chronograph collectors.
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Which
TAG-Heuer Model is
It?
Barack
Obama's TAG-Heuer watch is a Series 1500
Two-Tone Diver (as shown in the catalog
page below). TAG-Heuer introduced the
Series 1500 watches in 1991, after the
Series 1000 watches had been discontinued.
The Series 1500 watches were intended to
sell at the price point below the Series
2000 watches, and some of the catalog
pages shown below emphasize the "value" of
the Series 1500 watches.
In
this era, TAG-Heuer was marketing its
watches and chronographs as "professional
sports watches", with an emphasis on
diving watches and chronographs. The
Series 1000, 1500 and 2000 watches were
described as being "first and foremost
functional pieces of diving equipment".
Consistent with this positioning, the
watches featured water resistance to 200
meters, screw-down crown, double safety
clasp, unidirectional turning bezel,
sapphire glass, and luminous
pointers.
Perhaps
the most distinctive feature of Senator
Obama's watch, which sets it apart from
other TAG-Heuer chronographs of the period
and makes it easily recognizable in
numerous photos of Obama, is the raised
triangles on the bezel. The bezel has
these raised triangles at
00-10-20-30-40-50, with numerals at
5-15-25-35-45-55. On the Two-Tone model,
these raised triangles are gold-tone, as
is the crown. The steel model (shown
below) has these raised triangles,
but they are steel, rather than
gold.
Some
facts about the Series 1500 Two-Tone
Diver:
- The
Series 1500 Two-Tone Diver was
available in three sizes --
the Full-Size
(sometimes called "Oversized"), the
Three-Quarters (also called the
"Mid-Size"), and the Womens. The Series
2000 watches were avaliable in a fourth
size, between the Three-Quarters and
the Womens, with this fourth size
called the "Unisex".
- Obama's
TAG-Heuer is either the Full-Size model
or the Three-Quarters (Mid-Size) model;
these two watches are identical, other
than the size of the
case.
- When
introduced in 1991, the Series 1500
Two-Tine Diver in the Full-Size model
was Reference 955.706G, and the
Three-Quarters (Mid-Size) model was
Reference 955.713G. When TAG-Heuer
changed its numbering system (around
1994), the Full-Sized model became the
WD-1121 and the Three-Quarters
(Mid-Size) model became the WD-1221.
(Yes, it does seem odd that the smaller
watches had the larger reference
numbers.)
- The
dials on the Series 1500 Two-Tone
Divers were a distinctive
"granite" color throughout most
years of production. This watch was
produced with a white dial only in the
final period of production (circa
1998).
- When
introduced in 1991, the Series 1500
Two-Tone Diver sold for $625 on the
bracelet or $575 on the leather
strap.
The
Series 1500 continued in production until
around 1998, when the series was
discontinued. Here is a
1995
TAG-Heuer
catalog
that shows several of the Series 1500
models. (Compare the Series 1500 watches
to the Series 1000 or Series 2000 watches
shown in this 1990
TAG-Heuer
catalog.)
The
watch shown below appears to be identical
to the Series 1500 Two-Tone Diver worn by
Senator Obama, except that Obama's watch
has a leather strap, rather than the
bracelet.
The
model in TAG-Heuer's current line of
watches that might be considered the
closest successor to the Series 1500
Two-Tone Diver is the Reference
WAF1120.BB0807, part of the Aquaracer
series (shown below).
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So
Is Obama a "Watch
Guy"?
Prompted
by sightings of his TAG-Heuer Series 1500
Two-Tone watch and his oversized Secret
Service chronograph, the conversation on
various watch discussion forums naturally
turned to the question of whether Senator
Obama might be a "watch guy". There is no
reason to think that Senator Obama is a
"watch collector". Still, the photos
suggest that he wore a watch at a
relatively young age, and that he wore his
TAG-Heuer on a daily basis over several
years.
The
photograph below shows Barack Obama at
Harvard Law School, wearing what appears
to be an inexpensive plastic quartz
watch.
Obama
graduated from Harvard Law School in 1991,
began teaching at the University of
Chicago Law School in September 1992, and
was married in October 1992. Could the
TAG-Heuer Series 1500 Two-Tone watch have
been a gift to mark one of these
occasions? Or did Obama buy the watch for
himself, when he joined the workforce
(1991-92)?
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So
What?
Some
will skim this page or read the postings
on watch discussion forums and ask why any
of this matters. Indeed, in the larger
scheme of things, most voters will be more
interested in Senator Obama's positions
matters such as taxes, international
relations, national security, and
individual rights, and less interested in
his selection of this watch, some 15 years
ago. By the same token, watch enthusiasts
may question whether Senator Obama's
selection of a TAG-Heuer really means
much, for the TAG-Heuer brand or for watch
collecting, in general. In short, maybe
the fact that Barack Obama selected this
watch and wore it for so many years is
just not that important?
But
returning to the language and habits of
watch collectors, Barack Obama's TAG-Heuer
is an important watch. Obama's TAG-Heuer
may not be as important as the Rolex that
Marilyn Monroe had engraved for President
Kennedy. It may not even be as important
as the Timex that President George W. Bush
seems to have lost, while working a crowd
in Albania. Still, this watch is
important, as the watch that a young man
selected ,as he embarked on his career or
when he was married, and seems to have
worn regularly every day for the next 15
or so years. In the imagery that the watch
brands seek to create, here we have a man
of action, an adventurer, a sportsman,
wearing a watch that suits his personal
style so well.
Is
Obama's selection of this TAG-Heuer as
important as matters of world peace and
the wellbeing of our nation? Absolutely
not. Still, as a Heuer collector, I am
happy that he chose this one, and not a
Rolex, an Omega or a Timex.
Jeff
Stein, September 25, 2008
Copyright, Jeffrey M. Stein, 2008, all
rights reserved
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The
Update -- January 20 and 21,
2009
Barack
Obama's Inauguration as the 44th President
of the United States occured on Tuesday,
January 20, 2009, and the watch watchers
had one question in mind, as they watched
the events of the day -- would Obama wear
the Secret Service chronograph that he had
been wearing, during his campaign (and
which might have become his "lucky watch")
or would he go back to the TAG-Heuer watch
(which might have some sentimental value,
from his days as a young law professor,
community organizer or newlywed)? The
weather in Washington, D.C. was very cold
on the day of the Inauguration, meaning
that Obama would be wearing long sleeves,
an overcoat and leather gloves. It was
much easier watching his watch during the
hot summer days, when he was campaigning
in the Deep South, with his sleeves rolled
up.
The
photos from the morning prayer service,
and the pre-inauguration visit to the
White House were inconclusive, as Obama's
cuff, suit jacket, overcoat and gloves
kept his watch covered for most of the
morning. Then, as he was taking the oath
of office, with his right hand raised and
his left hand on the Lincoln Bible, we
finally saw the watch of the day . . . the
"Secret Service" chronograph that
Obama had been wearing since August of
2007. (Click on the photograph, for a
closer look at the
chronograph.)
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Barack
Obama is sworn in as 44th US
president by Chief Justice John
Roberts beside wife Michelle on
January 20, 2009 at the Capitol
in Washington, DC. Obama took the
oath on the same Bible used to
swear in President Abraham
Lincoln. (Photo: TIM
SLOAN/AFP/Getty
Images)
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Wednesday,
January 21, 2009, was President Obama's
first full day on the job. During the day,
he signed his first act as President, a
proclamation declaring a national day of
renewal and reconciliation and calling on
Americans to serve one another. [Click
on the image below, for a closer look at
the watch.]
In
subsequent days, with each signing of
additional executive orders, members of
the public saw President Obamas "Secret
Service" chronograph, and asked the
question: "Which watch is Obama
wearing?"
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