Time is money, former President Donald Trump is betting, as he launches a new branded watch sale in the closing weeks of his presidential campaign.
Trump, who has also peddled gold sneakers, NFTs, and even bibles this election season, on Wednesday posted on his Truth Social network about ‘my new Trump watches.’
‘I’m doing quite a number with watches, and the quality to me is very important,’ he said, hoping many of his online followers and political fans will rush to pick up one of their own.
The ‘Trump Victory Tourbillon’ watch he is selling has 200 grams of gold and ‘more than 100 real diamonds,’ and appears aimed at the 1 percenters, although other offerings are more affordable.
‘That’s a lot of diamonds. I love gold. I love diamonds. We all do,’ Trump said in a video .
It has a Trump moniker in the middle and bears a ‘Swiss made’ label, as well as window that shows the mechanism, although an ad featuring it shows the watch sitting on the stars of an American flag.
His ad does not disclose further details of the manufacturing or design or the origin of the diamonds.
The images displayed in his promotional video ‘are for illustrative purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the final product,’ a disclaimer warns. It says they are ‘intended as collectible items for individual enjoyment only.
‘Would make a great Christmas Gift. Don’t wait, they will go fast,’ Trump told his nearly 8 million followers hoping MAGA fans would scoop them up.
A portion of the video touts ‘exquisite Swiss craftsmanship’ and says it features TX07 Tourbillon Movement.
Trump promoted the watches on the day John Sauer, one of his stable of lawyers, was in a New York courtroom appealing his stunning $454 million fine in his New York fraud case. He has racked up an astonishing $24 million in interest amid the appeal, at a rate of about $1 million every nine days.
Tourbillon movement, designed by Breguet, seeks to counter the effects of gravity with a rotating cage housing the tiny springs and wheels that allow a watch to keep time.
The priciest one for sale on a web site goes for $100,000. The watch has ‘almost 200 grams of 18 karat solid gold’ and 122 VS1 diamonds.
Trump says ‘only 147 of these extraordinary watches will ever exist in the world.’ It can also feature a ‘personalized message’. The one featured says: ‘JAMES, LET’S THINK BIG!’ and included Trump’s signature.
A lower end ‘Fight fight fight’ watch goes for $499.
Fine print in the online ad says they are manufactured by thebestwatchesonearth LLC under a paid license agreement. It states that the watches ‘are not political and have nothing to do with any political campaign.’
That could be said for several Trump recent business offerings, which are unusual in presidential politics.
Last month, Trump rolled out World Liberty Financial, a crypto currency venture.
‘Crypto is one of those things we have to do,’ Trump posted on X. ‘Whether we like it or not, I have to do it.’ He had been a past critic of crypto but has embraced it more recently. That venture involves his sons Don Jr. and Eric Trump.
In February, he began selling $399 gold sneakers at ‘Sneaker Con.’ They are gold high tops being sold under the name ‘Never Surrender High-Tops.’
He is also selling $99 digital trading cards, many of which depict him as a super hero.
He’s even selling Trump bibles for $59.99.
Trump says he’s going to keep a gold watch – although he presumably has no intention of buying himself a traditional retirement gift as he seeks to reclaim the White House.
‘I have watch Number One, and I’m going to keep it. It’s mine, and that’s the way I want to have it.’ He says each watch is numbered and is a ‘true collector’s item.’
Not everyone on his Truth Social website agreed. ‘Every few days, he pitches another piece of junk and you suckers fall for his grift. This is embarrassing,’ wrote a commenter in a top trending post.
‘What next? Chip clips and beer coozies?’ wrote another.