Model: Vulcain “1947 President Watch” Cricket Reissue
Year: 2017
Limited Edition: 200 Pieces
Features:
The Origin. History has been generous to Rolex. Lyndon B. Johnson was seen sporting a Day-Date during his presidency, and with impressive speed, Rolex immediately began marketing it as the “President Watch”. But the popularity of wristwatches was on the rise before Johnson - so what did the previous Presidents wear? Harry S. Truman was the first US President to regularly wear a wristwatch, and towards the end of his term his go-to was a 1947 Vulcain Cricket - the world’s first alarm wristwatch.
The Functionality. Johnson was the President who famously (according to the Rolex marketing) wore the Day-Date in the White House, but did he order 200 Day-Dates to give to friends and colleagues? No? Apologies, I must have confused it with the 200 Vulcain Crickets he ordered while in office. Reportedly, Johnson fell in love with the functionality of the watch - so much so that it became a bone of contention during his Presidency. He would frequently use the alarm on his watch to abruptly excuse himself during meetings, claiming he had somewhere else he needed to be.
The Case Design. The alarm noise itself is surprisingly loud, and there are stories of the Secret Service reacting to it like a bomb threat. Its volume comes from its clever case design, which was inspired by crickets. Just like the body of a cricket, the double-layered caseback allows the vibrations to bounce around a resonating chamber, greatly amplifying the sound. The front of the case features a classic mix of brushing and polishing, as well as a retro-inspired 18k rose gold bezel.
The Movement. It’s also mechanically clever. The in-house movement features two independent ratchet wheels - one for the alarm and one for the hands. You might think you have to pull the crown to different positions to power each one, but the crown wheel actually drifts between them based on the direction you turn the crown.
The Anniversary. To be clear, the Vulcain on offer today is not an original Cricket from 1947 - it’s a faithful, limited edition, reissue for the 70th Anniversary. Only 200 were made in 2017 - but don’t worry, this isn’t a Speedmaster situation where Vulcain looks for any excuse to reissue it. As far as I can tell, there have only been two reissues of the 1947 President Watch.
The Presidents. In summary, sadly it isn’t always about being first, sometimes the winner is the one with the most aggressive marketing. The Vulcain Cricket is the most officially gifted watch to US Presidents - and this is my stand against blatant Rolex “President” revisionism. The Cricket has been given to, or bought by, Truman, Johnson, Eisenhower, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush Sr, Clinton, Obama, Biden and Trump. Rolex could never.
Specifications:
Condition: In very good condition overall. Recently serviced. No marks of any major significance on the case. The crystal has a visible mark on the side of its bubbled shape near 8 o’clock.
Scope: No box or papers.
Movement: Vulcain Exactomatic
Dimensions:
- Case Width: 34.2mm
- Lug to lug: 42.6mm
- Case Thickness: 12.1mm
- Lug Width: 18mm
