A watch with a hint: what accessory does dictator Putin wear

The article describes the watch on Vladimir Putin's wrist, produced at the Imperial Peterhof Factory. It notes that behind the external modesty lies an exclusive piece created by special order. The choice of watch contrasts with the politician's previous habit of wearing Swiss chronometers and fits into the rhetoric of import substitution, but the price of the item significantly exceeds the cost of standard models.

The article by Kursor describes the watch that Vladimir Putin has been wearing since 2022. Instead of his previous Swiss chronometers from Blancpain and IWC, a modest accessory of domestic production was noticed on the politician's wrist — a model created by individual order at the Imperial Peterhof Factory (IPF). Externally, the watch resembles a simple military device: a matte black dial, Arabic numerals, no calendar. However, the mechanism bears the IPF stamp referencing 1721 — the period of Peter the Great's reign, whose image Putin regularly invokes. The author notes the contrast with the head of state's past habits, when he wore elite Swiss watches worth tens of thousands of dollars and gave them to workers. The shift to domestic products fits into the rhetoric of import substitution, but the price of the accessory significantly exceeds the cost of standard store-bought items. The article concludes with a reference to another piece about how the Kremlin came up with an excuse for why Trump did not call Putin on his birthday.