Love him or loathe him, Donald Trump has always been controversial, even when he isn’t trying to be.
Since the Executive Office was established in 1789, 45 men have served 47 presidencies in US history, and Trump may well be the most closely observed and harshly critiqued of them all.
That is a matter of opinion; however, what isn’t up for debate is that Trump has been the most ‘watched’ US president.
Trump is known to have a personal love of watches and is often spotted wearing a gold timepiece. Since becoming a public figure in the early 1970s, he’s been photographed in everything from Rolex to Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin.
Therefore, it would come as no surprise that last year he lent his name, via a licensing agreement, to a new watch brand: Trump Watches.
Of course, licensing his name and personal branding is not new for Trump. It has been used in merchandising and marketing to promote everything from casinos to airlines and universities, and sell products such as sneakers, Bibles, and bottled water. You can add Trump Steaks to that list, too!
While there is an abundance of Donald Trump inspired watches being sold online, before the 2024 US election, Trump licensed his name to a new company selling Trump Watches.
While it appears that Trump has no financial interest in or control of the companies that sell or manufacture Trump-branded timepieces - or at least it is promoted as such - what is not so widely known is the sheer volume of watches available to consumers that feature the Trump name, image, or likeness.
Unsurprisingly, many of these watches are connected to the 2024 US Presidential Election and his historic win.
With that said, the use of Trump’s name to promote and sell watches is not a new phenomenon. Many of the watches available online predate the 2016 US Presidential Election, and some examples date back as far as 1984.
Time to flood the market
When supporters of the US President decide that a watch is the ideal way to symbolise their political affiliation, they’re afforded a broad assortment of designs from which to choose.
Whether wrist, pocket, or clock watches, hundreds of Trump-branded watches are sold on websites such as Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Shein, and Zazzle. There are even Trump-inspired smartwatch wallpapers.
In terms of design, these watches range from what you might describe as ‘serious’ or conventional designs, to those that are more quirky and novel. Some are even cartoon-like and feature MAD magazine covers.
Many of the designs highlight the obvious characteristics of Trump’s public persona – his name, face, and signature, his status as the 45th and 47th US President, and even the way he dances at rallies.
Others are dedicated to high-profile moments in his political career. Among these is the now legendary image of Trump’s raised fist during the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania in July 2024. There are also watches featuring the infamous police mugshot following his indictment in August 2023.
Small independent manufacturers supply most of these watches, which are usually mass-produced outside the US.
Trump Watches, the company publicly endorsed by the US President during the 2024 Presidential Election, is a different matter. (See: Trump Watches II: Timing, Mystery and Intrigue)
The most well-known example of Trump’s mass merchandising is the famous red hat, which brandishes his 2016 political slogan, ‘Make America Great Again’. Unsurprisingly, many watches feature this message.
With that said, these products have also been a common source of parody and ridicule and just as anti-Trump slogans are brandished on red hats, similar attacks on the US President are found on watches.
As mentioned, Trump’s association with watches predates his official entrance into US politics. For example, ‘Trump Plaza New Jersey Nets’ watches are being sold on eBay.
The watch was manufactured to commemorate the 1984 opening of Trump Plaza, a hotel and casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, which operated until September 2014, and the building was demolished - by way of detonation - in February 2021.
Crossing the aisle
One of Trump’s prominent political rivals, former US President Joe Biden (2021-2025), is also supposedly a lover of watches, favouring Rolex and Apple.
Interestingly, the number of watches featuring designs inspired by Biden pales in comparison to that of Trump. There are watches commemorating Joe Biden and his victory in the 2024 US Presidential Election, as well as caricature designs; however, they are few and far between.
Interestingly, there is a ‘BiDen’ branded watch; however, it is not connected to the politician or his family. It’s a Chinese brand made by Guangzhou Zhenhuo Watch Company and is sold on Shein.
One BiDen model is being sold on eBay, and it makes this lack of connection clear with a note that reads: ‘Not Associated With The Politician, Guaranteed To Work.’
A limited number of watches also feature the likeness of Trump’s most recent political rival, the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
A Harris/Walz watch band was produced for the Apple Watch, though its popularity is unknown.
There are a handful of designs that promote her election campaign, such as the ‘Harris for President’ and ‘Trump is Weird; Kamala 2024’ models; however, one design jumped the gun.
The ‘Harris, Madam President’ model is still available on eBay for $149.
While this print could be described as a faux pas, it could not be described as a misprint, such as the ‘Donald Trump Watch MISPRINT BLOOPER RARE’ that was recently sold on eBay.
Perhaps one of the most bizarre watches associated with the Trump name is a product released in February 2019.
Named ‘Meet in February’, the watch was designed by the Swiss watchmaker Moritz Grossmann to commemorate the US-North Korea summit. It features silhouettes of Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.
While the watch does not seem to appear on the company’s website, it is still shown on the watchmaker’s Facebook page and features silhouettes of Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.
In the second part of this series, Jeweller takes a close look at the 'mysterious' company that emerged in September 2024 - Trump Watches.
abundance or overabundance? TRUMP-INSPIRED watches
Donald Trump Pocket Watches
Donald Trump Wall clocks