Table of Contents
Emmanuel Macron has this particularity in that it seems to have, on the wrist, a watch collection more extensive than its popularity rating. And it was clearly not by purchasing these watches that he increased the French debt: the Mozart’s watch fleet of expenditure remains modest on the scale of a Western head of state. On the other hand, it is formidably coherent.
From the Lip for less than €200, to the felted rectangles of Cartier or Longines, including a Pequignet of tricolor manufacture, the presidential watch tells Macron’s image strategy better than many press releases. Industrial patriotism, salon ecology, bourgeois discretion: everything is there, condensed in a few centimeters of metal and sapphire.
French (and Franco-French) watches by Emmanuel Macron
One might expect, from a president trained in the Financial Inspectorate, to see a Patek or an FP Journe sparkle. This is not the case. Most of Macron’s watches are French, or at least “Franco-Swiss”, and at price levels that would almost make some MPs blush when declaring their assets.
Lip Dauphine – the tricolor watch for less than €200
It is probably the most politically “readable” watch. In 2018, Macron was seen with a Lip Dauphine 38 mm on the wrist, mounted on a blue-white-red NATO strap. Steel case, simple quartz movement, three hands, retail price around €170–200.
For a president, it is almost the anti-Rolex: made in France, symbol of a historic house which almost died several times, resurrected in Besançon. A totally “general public” watch, which any employee can afford without going into debt over 25 years. The image is perfect: on the wrist, a popular icon rather than a billionaire’s trophy.
Awake G7 “La Bleue” – eco-storytelling on the wrist
During the G7 in Biarritz in 2019, Macron wore a Awake G7 “The Blue”special edition produced for the summit. The case is made from recycled fishing nets, the tricolor strap from recovered plastic, and the movement is powered by a solar module. A manifesto watch: less fine watchmaking than environmental education.
The message is transparent: France chairs a “green” G7, the president wears a watch that ticks all the boxes of contemporary virtue – recycling, renewable energy, limited edition, made in France. On the scale of authenticity, everyone will have their own opinion. In terms of storytelling, it’s unstoppable.
Thank you LMM-01 – the fake watch for a broke student
We also saw Emmanuel Macron with a Thank you LMM-01 on the wrist, creation of the Parisian concept store Merci. Steel case measuring approximately 38 mm, curved mineral glass, ultra-sober white dial, black hands and colored second hand. Inside, a Swiss manual mechanical caliber (ETA or Sellita depending on the series), daily winding by hand, as in the last century.
The LMM-01 is a very Parisian object: deceptively simple, very elaborate in its proportions, inspired by military and scientific watches from the 40s–60s. Its price is around €400–600. It’s the watch of the prep teacher who reads Proust but drives a Clio, or the ministerial advisor who has not yet switched to the dark side of bonuses. About Macron, she says a simple thing: “I know watchmaking, but I don’t show off. »
March LA.B AM69 Electric Steel – a nod to sixties swing
Macron has been photographed several times with a March LA.B AM69 “Electric Steel” on the wrist. A French watch designed in Biarritz, 36 mm round steel case, offset crown at 4 o’clock, slightly domed clear dial, and Swiss quartz movement. All for €645.
It’s a very “Left Bank” watch: contained size, assumed 60’s look, elegance without emphasis. On a president, this gives an almost anachronistic silhouette in the age of XXL cases: a head of state who wears 36 mm in a world where everyone has 44 mm on their wrist, that is already, in itself, a political choice.
March LA.B Mansart / Dandy Mansart Electric Forest – French architecture in 30 mm
Another March LA.B signature seen on his wrist: the Mansartsometimes referred to as Dandy Mansart Electric Forest. Very thin octagonal case, around 30 mm on each side, deep green dial called “Gall”, quartz movement. Its price? €795.
The design is inspired by classic French architecture, with lines that evoke both the roofs of Mansart and certain Parisian facades. On Macron, this little angular, almost precious watch replaces the Tank de Cartier from its beginnings with a contemporary, French version, more “price wise”. The aristocratic rectangle was transformed into a republican octagon.
Bell & Ross BR V1-92 “Presidency of the Republic” – the fake watch at €80,000
Macron’s most talked about watch is neither the most expensive nor the rarest. It’s a Bell & Ross BR V1-92 personalized, 38.5 mm steel case, blue sunray dial, three hands and date. Inside, an automatic caliber BR-CAL.302, based on a Swiss Sellita SW300-1 movement, power reserve of approximately 38 hours.
March 22, 2023. In the middle of the pension crisis, Macron is invited to the 1 p.m. show on TF1 and France 2. In the middle of the interview, Internet users spot a gesture: he discreetly takes off his watch under the table. It didn’t take much for a story to get carried away: “the president of the ultra-rich withdraws his €80,000 watch paid for with your pensions”.
Some even speak of an FP Journe. The videos are running, the tweets are piling up, the outrage is adding up. The much more prosaic reality will then come to light: the watch in question is the Bell & Ross BR V1-92 personalized from the Presidency, around €2,400. Macron removed it after hitting it against the edge of the table, which made a noise picked up by the microphones.
The episode is interesting because it shows to what extent the watch has become an explosive political symbol. In a country obsessed with the question of purchasing power, the slightest steel case can be interpreted as an admission of class contempt. Hence Macron’s overall strategy: staying in a price range that does not give rise to caricature, while satisfying a real taste for the object.
Special feature: the back and the dial bear the coat of arms of the Presidency of the Republic and the GSPR logo. A military-inspired watch, consistent with the DNA of Bell & Ross, a French house that produces in Switzerland. Public price: around €2,400 at the time of its release. We are therefore very far from the €80,000 fantasized about on social networks.
Pequignet Attitude Élysée – the “official watch”
Latest arrival in the presidential galaxy: the Pequignet Attitude “Élysée”. Watch in a limited series of 300 pieces, developed by the French manufacturer Pequignet for the Presidency of the Republic. 39 mm steel case, opaline white dial, blue hands, large date window, blue leather strap stitched with red, and above all the Élysée seal at 6 o’clock, with the “RF” monogram on the crown and the oscillating weight.
Inside beats the Initial Caliberin-house automatic movement, designed and assembled in France, with a generous power reserve (approximately 65 hours) and a patented semi-instantaneous date system. Public price: €3,500.
Swiss and international watches
Beyond this very tricolor base, Macron also logically has some more classic Swiss watches. No debauchery of complications, but sure values, inherited from his Bercy years and his beginnings in national politics.
Cartier Tank – the chic rectangle that has disappeared from French wrists
Before his accession to the Élysée, Emmanuel Macron was seen several times with a Cartier Tank on the wrist. Rectangular rose gold case, clear dial, Roman numerals, railroad minute track, small seconds at 6 o’clock in some photos. Allow at least 15,000 euros to treat yourself to it. Another Tank, with a steel or white gold case, was also spotted.
The Tank is a totem of French chic: worn by Jackie Kennedy, Andy Warhol, Alain Delon… and many ministers, lawyers, big bosses. Since becoming president, however, Macron seems to have relegated it to the backstage – no doubt to avoid the overly ostentatious image of a high jewelry watch in a flammable social context. When traveling internationally, we sometimes still see it. In France, it travels more readily in the drawer than on the wrist.
Longines DolceVita – the affordable art deco compromise
In the same rectangular vein, but more “reasonable”, Macron also wears a Longines DolceVita. Rectangular steel case measuring just over 30 mm, silver guilloché dial, applied Roman numerals or indexes depending on the version, quartz movement and leather strap.
With a price of around €1,000–1,200, the DolceVita is a typically Longines compromise: very careful design, real historical legitimacy, but still accessible entry ticket to beautiful Swiss watchmaking. It is, in a way, the Tank of someone who does not want to take on a Tank.
Fabergé Altruiste – the foray into true fine watchmaking
Rarer in the photos, but confirmed by several observers: one Altruistic Fabergé (often spelled “Altruiste” or “Altruist”, the reference is 864WA1691/24). Pink gold case, opaline guilloché dial, Breguet-type blued hands, high-end Swiss mechanical movement, careful decoration right down to the sides of the case and the oscillating weight.
We change gears here: we are in a real piece of fine watchmaking, with a price of €19,500. Macron carried it in a very punctual manner. On the scale of a French president, it’s not extravagant – Nicolas Sarkozy had a significantly more muscular watch collection – but it’s probably the most luxurious watch associated with his wrist.
What its watches reveal about its image strategy
Aligning references is good. Understanding the overall message is better. When we put all these watches end to end, we obtain a fairly clear score.
- Economic patriotism displayed : Lip, Awake, March LA.B, Merci, Pequignet… Macron keeps the made in France (or Franco-Swiss) on the wrist as much as possible. The Pequignet Attitude Élysée even pushes logic to its climax, with a French-made caliber.
- “Wise” prices for a president : apart from the Fabergé or the Tank, most of its watches are between €200 and €3,500. For the average citizen, that’s already a lot. For a head of state, this is reasonable. Especially since most were certainly offered by the brands. His collection is clearly larger than his popularity rating, but much smaller than the public debt.
- Contained size, discreet elegance : 30 to 38 mm, rarely more. Macron sticks to classic, almost old school proportions, far from the 45mm chronographs dear to self-proclaimed influencers.
- Quartz/mechanical balance : contrary to the fetishism of certain collectors, it alternates without complex between quartz movements (practical, precise, inexpensive) and mechanical (Merci, Fabergé, Pequignet). A pragmatic, almost technocratic approach to watchmaking.
- Integrated ecological discourse : Awake G7 methodically ticks the sustainable watch boxes. Whether the commitment is sincere or not, the signal sent is clear.
Basically, his choices say the same thing as his speeches: a modern France, connected to the world, but which continues to display its historic manufactures like a coat of arms. And a president who likes watches enough to wear a lot of them, but not enough to publicly endorse a six-figure grand complication.
FAQ: Emmanuel Macron’s watches
What are the main watches worn by Emmanuel Macron?
Among the models identified in photos and public appearances: Bell & Ross BR V1-92 personalized “Presidency of the Republic”, Lip Dauphine NATO tricolor, Awake G7 “La Bleue”, March LA.B AM69 Electric Steel, March LA.B Mansart / Dandy Mansart Forêt Électrique, Merci LMM-01, Longines DolceVita, several Cartier Tanks, a Fabergé Altruiste in pink gold, and – more recently – the Pequignet Attitude Élysée, developed for the Presidency.
Does Macron really have an €80,000 watch?
The controversy surrounding an €80,000 watch during an interview on pensions was unfounded. The watch collected directly was a Bell & Ross BR V1-92 for around €2,400. On the other hand, he owns at least one more expensive haute horology watch, a Fabergé Altruiste, but it has never been at the heart of a scandal.
Why does he wear so many French watches?
Because it ticks all the right boxes: support for French know-how, a more sober image than that of a president covered in ultra-luxury Swiss brands, consistency with the “Made in France” narrative. Lip, March LA.B, Awake, Merci and Pequignet tell the same story: that of a French watch industry that wants to live, and of a president who serves as its showcase.
Is the Pequignet Attitude Élysée Macron’s “official watch”?
It is in any case the most institutional. Limited series of 300 pieces, French-made caliber, Elysée seal on the dial, “RF” monograms wherever they can be engraved. Even if it does not yet appear in all the photos, it is set to become one of its emblematic timepieces for major ceremonies.
Is Emmanuel Macron a real watch enthusiast?
He’s not an obsessive collector, but he’s clearly above the casual wearer. The choice of brands, the consistency of sizes, the quartz/mechanical alternation, and the arrival of a real factory watch like the Pequignet Attitude Élysée show that he knows the subject, or that he has surrounded himself very well. Let’s say that he is passionate enough to have fun with the codes of watchmaking… and prudent enough to never give the impression of doing it at the taxpayer’s expense.
