In the “Who wears what?” section. “, we have already talked about Macron, Sarah Knafo, Jordan Bardella, Édouard Philippe, Eric Zemmour… Let’s take a look at a separate case: Jean-Luc Mélenchonthe tribune who clearly has less taste for Rolex than his idol Fidel Castro.
Where Castro happily wore clearly visible Swiss crowns, Mélenchon is content with much more modest watches: a Seiko 5 automatic Day-Date old generation and Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 42mm. Two utilitarian watches, light years away from the €18,000 fantasized by a certain rumor.
The fake Rolex for €18,000: autopsy of an urban legend
In 2017, in the middle of the presidential campaign, a photo circulated on the networks: Jean-Luc Mélenchon was allegedly haranguing the crowd with, on his wrist, a supposed Rolex in gold at €18,000. The combo is perfect for his opponents: the slayer of the rich caught red-handed, or rather with his wrist in the crown.
Except that the scene is bogus. The image was retouched, and very quickly, people who know how to read a dial realize that something doesn’t add up: proportions, bezel, dial, nothing really corresponds to the watch he usually wears. The Rolex is disappearing as quickly as it appeared, leaving behind just one more example of what a mix of bad faith and Photoshop can produce.
In real life, Mélenchon wears a Seiko 5 automatic which costs less than a full load of groceries for a large family, and a Hamilton Khaki whose price remains reasonable for a modern Swiss watch. Nothing luxurious. Just serious watches for someone who obviously doesn’t want his wrist to contradict his words.
The Seiko 5 automatic Day-Date: Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s everyday watch
An old Seiko 5
The watch that appears most often on Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s wrist is a Seiko 5 automatic Day-Date. Not a recent model from a very clean catalog from 2025, but an older version, typical of what Seiko mass produced from the 80s–90s.
By examining the photos, I can distinguish several very characteristic elements:
- a notched bezel Or flutedwhich gives relief to the case;
- A white dialsober, without frills;
- of the index in Arabic numerals – and this is where things get complicated;
- a double Day-Date window at 3 o’clock ;
- a diameter of approximately 37mmin the spirit of the classic Seiko 5;
- A black leather strapfitted in place of the original steel bracelet.
I spent a good time digging through archived Seiko 5 references to find the exact model. Honestly, I haven’t been able to isolate a precise reference that ticks off both the notched bezel, the Arabic numerals and this white Day-Date dial. There are credible candidates, but no absolute certainty. And that’s also the reality of the Seiko 5: dozens of variants, depending on the year and the market.
So I can say what the watch is for sure: a 37 mm Seiko 5 automatic Day-Date, with white dial, notched bezel and Arabic numeralsworn on a black leather strap. On the other hand, I am not going to invent a reference number out of forceps: for the moment, this Seiko remains a “rebel” in the archives (I am rather proud of this pun).
General characteristics of the Seiko 5 by Mélenchon
Without fixing a serial number, we can draw up a technical portrait of a typical Seiko 5 of this type:
- Housing : stainless steel, diameter approx. 37mm.
- Telescope : notched / fluted, steel finish.
- Dial : white, with Arabic numerals for hours.
- Complication : double day + date window at 3 o’clock (Day-Date), signature of the Seiko 5.
- Movement : Seiko automatic caliber (most likely from the 7Sxx family), wrist winding, proven robustness.
- Box bottom : solid or transparent depending on the series, screwed.
- Waterproofing : basic (generally 3 ATM), sufficient for everyday life.
- Bracelet : black leather, replacing the steel bracelet originally delivered.
In terms of price, the new Seiko 5 automatic Day-Dates, in their recent versions, today are around 300 to 400 € at retailers. On the second-hand market, some old references can be found for less than €200. For a real automatic, reliable, with day and date, it is still, in 2025, a very good deal.
Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 42 mm: the grandstand’s field watch
A real modern tool-watch
The other watch that we regularly see on the wrist of Jean-Luc Mélenchon is a Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 42mmreference H70605733. Here, we leave popular Japan for a Swiss Made watch, but we remain in a utilitarian register: the Khaki Field is the direct descendant of soldier’s watches, redesigned in a contemporary version.
Robust steel case, highly readable black dial, large Arabic numerals, well-marked minute hand, date at 3 o’clock, and an in-house H-10 automatic movement with an 80-hour power reserve. An instrument designed to follow its owner everywhere, from the benches of the Assembly to the sets of talk shows.
Currently this Khaki Field Auto 42mm is displayed at €745. It is impossible to know at what exact price Mélenchon acquired it, nor on what date, but we still remain in a “serious but reasonable” price zone for a modern Swiss automatic.
Features of the Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 42mm (H70605733)
- Reference : H70605733
- Collection : Khaki Field
- Movement : automatic caliber H-10three hands + date, 80-hour power reserve.
- Case diameter : 42mm
- Thickness : 11mm
- Housing : stainless steel
- Dial : black, white Arabic numerals, railroad minute track, hands and indexes with Super-LumiNova for nighttime readability.
- Glass : sapphire
- Width between horns : 22mm
- Waterproofing : up to 10 bar (100 m)
- Box bottom : transparent, revealing the decorated movement.
- Technical specifications : hairspring Nivachron anti-magnetic, Super-LumiNova, H-10 movement at 80 hours.
- Current public price : approx. €745.
Here we are on a contemporary field watch: enough to cope with a day of travel, a crowd and a few televised debates, without shouting “luxury” in the faces of voters. In terms of image, it is a watch which gives an impression of seriousness, robustness and work. Not a trophy, a tool.
A wrist in tune with the speech
If we take a step back, the duo Seiko 5 automatic Day-Date + Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 42mm says something very clear about Jean-Luc Mélenchon:
- Modest watches, not ostentatious haute horology : no gold, no diamonds, no exotic complications. A popular Seiko and a mid-range Hamilton, that’s it.
- Watches in real use : both are designed to be worn every day, not for sleeping in a safe. Automatic, robust, waterproof, readable.
- Politically “defensible” prices : even at €745 for the Khaki, we remain within significant amounts for ordinary mortals, but far from the watches costing several tens of thousands of euros which populate certain parliaments.
- Ideological coherence : for a man who castigates symbols of wealth, arriving on set with a gold chronograph costing €50,000 would be suicidal. There, on the contrary, the wrist is more in line with the rhetoric.
We can completely disagree with his ideas, irritated by his tone or seduced by his meeting speeches. But on one point, at least, the facts are stubborn: Jean-Luc Mélenchon does not hide a Rolex under his sleeve. He chose modest, utilitarian watches that tell more of a story of function than of fortune.
FAQ: Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s watches
Does Jean-Luc Mélenchon wear a Rolex?
No. The “€18,000 Rolex” episode comes from a photoshopped image that circulated in 2017. In reality, he is wearing an older generation Seiko 5 automatic Day-Date and a Hamilton Khaki Field Auto.
What is Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s main watch?
His daily watch is a Seiko 5 automatic Day-Date 37 mm, white dial, notched bezel, Arabic numerals and double day/date window at 3 o’clock, worn on a black leather strap. The exact reference is difficult to determine, the Seiko archives being very rich.
Which Hamilton is wearing Jean-Luc Mélenchon?
He wears a Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 42mmreference H70605733with black dial, steel case, H-10 automatic movement with 80 hours of power reserve, transparent back and water resistance to 100 m.
How much do his watches cost?
A new Seiko 5 Day-Date in the current collection can be found around 300 to 400 € depending on the version. The Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 42mm is displayed at approximately €745. We stay at serious prices, but far from five-figure luxury watches.
Are its watchmaking choices consistent with its political image?
Yes. Whether we support his project or not, his watches are relatively modest, robust and functional. A Seiko 5 automatic and a Khaki Field, for a leader of the radical left, it’s probably the most coherent thing he could do on the wrist.
