For a Swiss watchmaker on the hunt for a topflight endorsement deal, any White House resident, the proverbial bull in the china shop of public opinion, makes for a rather risky target. But the Le rassus–based Audemars Piguet—whose luminary dance card also includes Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jay-Z, and Shaquille O'Neal—is looking to bring about a thaw in the political climate by pairing with former President Bill Clinton and the Clinton Foundation for the grandiloquently titled Equation of Time.
The feature-laden watches, in either platinum, white, or rose gold—limited to 42 of each in honor of Clinton's presidential placement—track sunrise and sunset times, phases of the moon, and the calendar date. The strap is full-grain crocodile leather, and the transparent sapphire back is branded with Clinton's presidential seal and signature. The ring carries the coordinates of the White House—especially handy for someone trying to find a way back there. And for those willing to spring for the platinum, a scale model of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is included, an executive privilege that carries a touch of nostalgia for more lighthearted days in the Oval Office.
For Clinton and his poverty-fighting foundation, it's not about the high art of watchmaking, but high earning potential. Audemars Piguet will donate $3 million in sales to the fund, whose global portfolio includes efforts against AIDS, climate change, and illiteracy, among other causes. Of course, Clinton is no stranger to fine wrist ornamentation, having been photographed wearing Cartier, Panerai, and yes, Audemars (whose own environmental foundation has been in operation since 1992). Now that he's got his own socially conscious timepiece to round out an already indelible legacy, where does Bill Clinton go from here? Only election time '08 will tell.
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