# The Real Reason Russians Don't Talk About Their Vostoks



## RuskyWatchLover (Nov 12, 2006)

I found the following on the Pravda website and thought you all would find it interesting.

******

*Putin wears a 60,000-dollar watch in comparison with George W.Bush's Timex for $50*

A watch takes a distinctively special place among politicians' accessories. One may say that a watch is the only standard of luxury consumption. Real estate, yachts and jets are hidden from the public eye, as a rule. A watch is something that everybody can see every day. The Russian Newsweek conducted a research to find out which trademarks and models Russian oligarchs and politicians wear.

It turned out as a result of the research that the Russian political, art and business elite prefer gold watches by best Swiss makers that count several centuries of experience. A watch underlines a high public status of its owner.

Russian President Vladimir Putin wears most expensive watch among Russian politicians. The head of state wears a $60,000 Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar watch. Putin wears his watch on the right wrist, the magazine wrote. The cost of Putin's watch is equal to the amount of the president's annual wages. The Russian president makes $60,000 a year. It looks like Putin is rather devoted to this watch brand. In 2003, Putin also had a Patek Philippe, although it was a different model - Patek Philippe Calatrava.

Patek Philippe is a very conservative and expensive brand. Patek Philippe is a watch for rich presidents, presidents and politicians. It is noteworthy, that this brand does not like public advertising. An NTV correspondent decided to find out once if Putin was really wearing a Patek Philippe. â€œI have heard that the president has one of our watches. It is a rather strict model, although it is not the most complicated one,â€ a spokesperson for the watchmaker said.

Several Russian deputies and governmental officials also have a fondness for the presidential trademark. Anatoli Chubais, the chairman of the energy giant RAO UES of Russia wears a classic gold Patek Philippe complete with indicator of lunar phases and two additional calendar meters. Chubais wears his watch on the left wrist, though.

President of Alpha Bank, Peter Aven, wears a bourgeois Patek Philippe Annual Calendar that comes in a white metal case. Aven's watch costs not less than $19,000.

Moscow Mayor Yiri Luzhkov owns a Patek Philippe Calatrava for $18,000. A year ago the mayor had a gold watch with a portrait of Alexander Pushkin on the back lid. Luzhkov received the watch as a gift from the company Breguet for the 200th anniversary of the poet.

Chelsea's owner, oligarch Roman Abramovich has a selection of Rolex watches. Now he wears a $29,000 Rolex Daytona, although he had a gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date Submariner for about $19,000 before.

Mikhail Gorbachev wears Omega Constellation, Zhirinovsky owns a Soviet-made Slava watch.

US President George W. Bush is a very modest person: he wears a 50-dollar Timex Indiglo watch. The American president is sure that he will never lose his watch: the presidential watch has a personal engraving on the back: George W. Bush President January 20, 2001.

California governor and Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger wears Audemars Piguet, models Royal Oak Offshore and Paneria Luminor.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who has a great passion for watches, wears the most expensive Constantin Vacheron watch for $540,000.


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## nursegladys (Aug 4, 2006)

RuskyWatchLover said:


> I found the following on the Pravda website and thought you all would find it interesting.
> 
> ******
> 
> ...


Well it's a bloody good job I'm not famous


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## blackandgolduk (Apr 25, 2005)

I think it's been discussed here before that Bush's watch, to quote Alan Partridge, was a gift from Timex. Anyone know what Blair wears? or any of the other Brit politicos for that matter?


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## DavidH (Feb 24, 2003)

blackandgolduk said:


> I think it's been discussed here before that Bush's watch, to quote Alan Partridge, was a gift from Timex. Anyone know what Blair wears? or any of the other Brit politicos for that matter?


14060M???


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## Bri (Nov 2, 2006)

nursegladys said:


> RuskyWatchLover said:
> 
> 
> > I found the following on the Pravda website and thought you all would find it interesting.
> ...


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## Bri (Nov 2, 2006)

blackandgolduk said:


> I think it's been discussed here before that Bush's watch, to quote Alan Partridge, was a gift from Timex. Anyone know what Blair wears? or any of the other Brit politicos for that matter?


Bush can tell the time ?


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## chris l (Aug 5, 2005)

Whatever our Tony wears on his wrist, he doesn't seem to realise that, for him, it's time to go...


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

chris l said:


> Whatever our Tony wears on his wrist, he doesn't seem to realise that, for him, it's time to go...


He`s probably got one of those backwards watches


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## limey (Aug 24, 2006)

Bri said:


> blackandgolduk said:
> 
> 
> > I think it's been discussed here before that Bush's watch, to quote Alan Partridge, was a gift from Timex. Anyone know what Blair wears? or any of the other Brit politicos for that matter?
> ...


Not exactly, see the initial post...



> US President George W. Bush is a very modest person: he wears a 50-dollar Timex Indiglo watch. The American president is sure that he will never lose his watch: the presidential watch has a personal engraving on the back: George W. Bush President January 20, 2001.


This is a little misleading. It's not so he can't lose the watch, it's so he can remember who he is!


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## in_denial (Aug 3, 2005)

limey said:


> Bri said:
> 
> 
> > blackandgolduk said:
> ...


It was to replace his previous watch (also a timex) which he lost:


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## RuskyWatchLover (Nov 12, 2006)

in_denial said:


> It was to replace his previous watch (also a timex) which he lost:


I bought the new version of that when I was in America last year.










42mm across... made by SII... oh god, help me!


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## chris l (Aug 5, 2005)

RuskyWatchLover said:


> in_denial said:
> 
> 
> > It was to replace his previous watch (also a timex) which he lost:
> ...


Now they're  fine watches...!


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