A record number of voters turned out for the 2020 US presidential election, and we now know that Joe Biden will be the 46th president of the United States. Come January 20th, 2021, we’ll not only see a shift in policy, but a big change in personality as well. These differences are perfectly exemplified by the watches the incumbent president and president-elect wear. While current US President Donald Trump wears almost exclusively gold watches from top brands, Biden has been spotted wearing a number of different watches. This might just be a sign that the president-to-be is a watch enthusiast.
Let’s start by taking a brief look at President Trump’s watches. He has often been seen wearing a yellow gold Patek Philippe Ellipse. It’s a rather understated watch for someone like Donald Trump, despite the fact that it’s a gold watch on a gold bracelet. Another watch that the 45th president of the United States has been known to wear is a pink gold Vacheron Constantin Historiques Ultra-Fine 1968. He wore this watch on a number of occasions during his 2016 campaign. A third timepiece that seems more fitting for Trump’s extravagance is his gold Rolex Day-Date.
These three timepieces stand in stark contrast to Joe Biden’s watches. Although Trump and Biden both wear watches from highly-respected brands, the difference in style and statement is pretty clear. Let’s find out what the “Son of Scranton” Joe Biden has been seen wearing.
Tissot T-Touch
Joe Biden wore a first generation Tissot T-Touch in 2010 while he was vice president during the Obama administration. Back then, he donned the stainless steel version of the sports watch on a black rubber strap. The watch is marketed by Tissot as a watch for adventurers and features a number of gadgets like an altimeter, chronometer, compass, alarm, thermometer, and barometer. These functions come in handy for any wearer, and are accessed by touching the sapphire crystal where they are displayed on the bezel.
Tissot currently offers a number of second generation T-Touch watches. Joe Biden’s steel model was a good match for his sporty personality. Apparently, Biden does his utmost to stay in good shape, as evidenced by his jog to the podium to declare victory in the November 2020 election. Some fans noted the stark contrast to President Trump, who reportedly had difficulty walking down a podium ramp earlier this year.
Seiko 7T32-6M90 Chronograph
The second watch that Joe Biden was seen wearing during his two terms as vice president was a Seiko 7T32-6M90 Chronograph. This quartz-powered, steel and gold-plated sports chronograph certainly stands out. It’s a pretty obscure watch that was never really considered “hot” among Seiko collectors – at least until it became known as Joe Biden’s Seiko. The 7T32-6M90 Chronograph was originally available in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Over two decades later, Biden is still wearing his version.
The good thing about watches like Biden’s Seiko is that you can find similar watches at a decent price. Late-90s Seiko quartz watches are not particularly popular with collectors since they are not (yet) considered to be classics. That being said, there’s not an abundance of 90s Seikos on the market, so be prepared for a longer search if you’re interested in acquiring one. It’s great that the soon-to-be president is still wearing his Seiko 7T32-6M90 Chronograph to this day, and that similar models aren’t too expensive!
Omega Seamaster Diver 300M
The watch you’ll see most often on Joe Biden’s wrist is an Omega Seamaster Diver 300M. The president-elect has been spotted on multiple occasions wearing the previous generation Seamaster with a blue dial and bezel, the so-called James Bond Seamaster. However, Biden appears to have more than just this model in his collection. During the 2020 campaign, he also wore the latest generation Seamaster Diver 300M with a black dial and bezel.
These two Omega Seamasters tell us that Biden is a man who loves watches. Choosing an Omega shows that he has an eye for quality and doesn’t just want something luxurious or flashy. The watch fits his character and is in line with what people appreciate about the former vice president. Some have claimed that this choice could perhaps be motivated by the Omega timepiece President John F. Kennedy wore at his 1961 inauguration. Regardless of whether this is true or not, we do know that Biden has been an Omega fan for years.
Omega Speedmaster Professional
This is only further proven by the final watch on this list. One of the most iconic images of Joe Biden is his 2017 InStyle cover photo where he’s wearing a Levi’s denim shirt and an Omega Speedmaster Professional. Biden’s Moonwatch gained him plenty of fans in the watch community. It’s fitting that an American President would wear the same watch Buzz Aldrin had on his wrist when he set foot on the Moon on July 20th, 1969 – an iconic moment in American (and watch) history.
Biden was 26 when the Apollo 11 mission took Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins to the Moon. I’d like to think he wears the Speedmaster Professional because of its connection to NASA as the first watch on the Moon and the watch that helped the Apollo 13 crew return safely back to Earth. It makes you wonder why other presidents before him haven’t worn a Speedmaster. Whatever the case, Joe Biden and the Omega Speedmaster are a great duo. Let’s hope this will turn into a great presidency with a lot of Speedmaster wrist time.
