A Reseller's Take on Trump Watches

Earlier this year, Donald Trump officially added watches to the sizeable list of Trump brand collectibles. Partnering with TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC (EST July 2024), he has released 2 collections of timepieces that resemble familiar designs. Each individual timepiece is a numbered collectible and available in limited quantities.

This collection resembles the typical diver watch designed for everyday wear. The $499 version most closely resembles the aesthetic of the timeless and often imitated Rolex Submariner, while the $799 version includes the GMT complication which essentially allows you to set the time for a 2nd time zone in a 24-hour format.

Some are available in familiar colorways. Can you see the resemblance to the iconic Rolex “Pepsi” GMT-Master?

Both versions sport a stainless steel case and bracelet (gold plated on those colorways), are water resistant up to 200 meters (660ft), which is standard for recreational divers, and contain fully automatic movements with date.

The only notable difference aside from function between the $499 and $799 versions is the ceramic bezel on the GMT and aluminum bezel on the standard.

The “Trump Victory Tourbillon” collection contains 3 colorways and carries a hefty (understatement) $100,000 retail price tag. While they’re marketed as highly limited, their own website fails to specify if the whole collection is 147 units, or if it is 147 per colorway.

The 3 models are Gold with Black Dial, all Gold, and all Rose Gold. Each model sports an 18 karat solid gold case and bracelet, exhibition caseback, 122 VS1 diamonds, and a tourbillon complication which is typically only present in higher end luxury timepieces.

This complication will help your watch counteract the effects of gravity which causes any automatic movement to lose or gain time. In layman’s terms, it will make the time more accurate for longer without needing to be adjusted, and it looks really cool. Each one also comes with a hand signed letter from Donald J. Trump himself.

Notably, the Victory Tourbillon is not labeled “water resistant” anywhere on the website, which is major when considering the warranty on your $100k timepiece (water damage will not be covered under warranty on this collection). Find the limited warranty details here.

This is wild for such a high end timepiece. Imagine your $100,000 watch stops working after you got caught in some unexpected rain, and the company responsible for the repair won’t accept it under warranty.

Now you need to find a watch service center capable of repairing a tourbillon movement AND capable of locating parts for this no-name brand timepiece.

Oh, they can’t find those parts? They’ll have to custom fabricate them for you? Your $100,000 watch has quickly become a wet paperweight, but if you’re in this position we’re hoping you’ve got the cash to spare.

It’s worth a mention that brand reputation is VERY important when purchasing a timepiece at this price point. Manufacturers treasure these timepieces, and in most cases offer favorable warranties to consumers who have made a great investment into an asset that is meant to pass through generations.

However, even manufacturers of the highest prestige may take some time to repair such a complicated watch, whether that be due to a backlog or having to fashion a new component by hand. We’d hate to think about how an inexperienced team would handle the repair process on a complex model of such high cost.

That’s all on that for now, let’s dissect product value a bit.

Let’s start with the cheaper “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT” collection. In short, this looks like little more than another micro brand watch with Trump branding on it. To give some perspective on the product manufacturing, there are plenty of companies that specialize in making “custom” timepieces.

Here’s a website that does exactly that, offering watches in the $1-$69 range.

Essentially you would pick a sample from their catalog, and they would walk you through the individual components. The only real question which affects pricing is your desired quantity.

If you’d like to handle the production yourself, getting the components from China or an “unspecified origin,” like Trump has done with this collection, is as easy as ordering from AliExpress. You can see a case VERY similar to the Trump Watch being sold here for under $20.

Watch hands can also be purchased for little to nothing, some as cheap as $1. The dial is probably the most expensive component considering the customization of engraving Trump branding on each one. The movements can be purchased in bulk from manufacturers, but even if you spend a generous $40 per movement, you’d likely be well under $100 all in on production for each piece.

Obviously, the true value of this collection comes from Trump’s name. We’ve covered a number of profitable Trump ventures in the last few years like his “Trading Card” NFTs and the bombastic Trump Sneakers, and it’s obvious his fans supporters have no issue shelling out for gold plating and weapons-grade kitsch.

Considering $500 is not terribly expensive for a timepiece, we can see the Trump branding facilitating some profit margin if the FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT collection sells out before the holiday rush begins.

There’s still time left, sure, but this collection has been sitting for over a month. Maybe it was a last, desperate push for campaign funding leading into November, but it doesn’t seem like buyers have rallied to these watches like they have for previous Trump cashgrabs.

Now the coup de grâce, The “$100,000 Trump Victory Tourbillon”. Almost 200g of 18k gold in this timepiece carries a value in the range of $10k to $13k USD at approximately $60 per gram. A tourbillon movement will usually imply a mid to high 4 figure price tag depending on the manufacturer and quantity.

The price point on the 122 VS1 diamonds is a bit harder to guesstimate. There are no specifications on the total karat weight for each piece, but they look to be on the very small side. To make a generous estimate, it would be hard to say the total value of the diamonds on each piece exceeds the range of $1k to $2k USD.

Considering manufacturing and shipping costs, that brings us to a high end estimate around $25,000 USD all in to produce the $100k Trump Victory Tourbillon. Watch enthusiasts like this one here may consider owning one at some point, but probably at not more than ⅓ of the retail price.

For some added perspective, other 18k gold watches with tourbillon complications can be found for around $30,000 on the lower end, but can cost over $100,000 based on brand and model. If the tourbillon isn’t really your flavor, a solid gold Rolex Submariner Date is priced at $40,600 by Rolex and comes with the manufacturer’s full warranty and state of the art production.

We don’t have much information on the company manufacturing Trump watches, TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC (EST July 2024), but then again nobody does because they’ve existed for about 3 months. This goes back to the point we made earlier about brand reputation, they have none.

Look, it’s your money. If the idea of giving Trump $100,000 excites you, here’s a great opportunity. Wave your love around on your wrist, own the libs, go wild; just don’t expect us to take this watch too seriously.

With just a few days left until the election, we thought we’d cover this collection of watches. It’s a great embodiment of the Trump era, and whether it ends this week or continues for another four years, you can learn a lot about the man and half the country by the way this sale has gone.

And if you’re still on the fence, let’s go over a few final considerations, snags, and hanging chads.

• There is no concrete release date for this product, shipping is estimated, but not guaranteed between October and December stating “the earlier you purchase the earlier it will be shipped.”
• The product specifications on the Trump Victory Tourbillon are painfully unspecific when considering a $100,000 price tag. Also, the watch not being water resistant is just screaming buyers remorse.
• The company manufacturing these watches, TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC, has existed for about 3 months to date. Nobody can speak on their integrity as a business or watch manufacturer.
• Do they have certified watchmakers at their disposal? Are any of them capable of working on tourbillon movements? How will a watchmaker get parts to repair your Trump Watch if the manufacturer doesn’t honor your warranty? We have no clue.

Even if the skill and craftsmanship of the watchmakers at TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC are anywhere remotely close to that of the Swiss manufacturers we know and love, it’s clear that the Trump Victory collection could not possibly live up to its $100k price tag.

We’ll be watching the market on the Trump watches through the holiday season for curiosity’s sake. Some of us did consider placing a pre-order at the $499 price point, but most concluded the risk surrounding this product is too high, and potential return would take too long.

With the holiday season right around the corner, there is no shortage of hard to get products and strong investment opportunities. If you want to make sure you catch the next one early, subscribe to our newsletter. We specialize in helping you find products you wouldn’t have the opportunity to buy otherwise. Give yourself the gift of RC so you can pay it forward to those who matter most!