Already at the beginning of 2016, it became clear that the Apple Watch would conquer the mass watch market. Then for the first time they overtook the Swiss manufacturers in terms of sales.

Today, smartwatches have become commonplace. They stopped attracting glances, and many simply abandoned them.

We decided to see what kind of watches the powers that be use, and chose the most interesting specimens in the hands of domestic politicians. Many of them we were really surprised.

Ramzan Kadyrov, head of the Chechen Republic

Watch: Greubel Forsey, Tourbillon 24 Secondes Contemporain

Price: ≈16 million rubles

Platinum watch with alligator leather strap. They were released in a limited edition of 33 pieces back in 2012, but collectors continue to chase them even today.

Experts call this watch one of the most beautiful watches from the manufacturer, and GreubelForsey notes that it took the longest time to create an incredible shade of blue on the dial, which shimmers at an angle.

The dial is made of metal and specially painted with high precision instruments. It is impossible to repeat this without special equipment.

The watch has a built-in tourbillon, which consists of 88 parts. And the total sum of the components in the mechanism of this accessory is 267.

Valentina Matvienko, Chairman of the Federation Council

Watch: ToyWatch, Fluo Yellow Sunshine

Price: ≈5 thousand rubles

The cheapest and at the same time the brightest watch in the selection, which is made of yellow plastic.

ToyWatch is a young Italian brand that was founded in 2006. It focuses on European youth and those who are not even 20 at heart.

The well-known Russian politician successfully complemented her jacket of the same color and proved that one can be stylish not only in Chanel, but also in the usual mass market.

There are no tricky features in the watch mechanism. They are quartz and can show the date.

Dmitry Peskov, presidential press secretary

Watch: Richard Mille, RM 52-01

Price: ≈35 million rubles

In 2015, Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov married Olympic champion Tatyana Navka. According to rumors, it was she who gave him this brutal watch with a skull on the dial.

Richard Mille RM 52-01 is the second model in the Swiss brand’s skull series, which was launched back in 2012. It has become a landmark for the manufacturer, which continues to be associated with bold and brutal design.

The skull on the dial of the most expensive watch in the selection is made of red gold, the case is made of platinum, titanium and ceramics. The parts are interconnected with screws. The watch mechanism uses a tourbillon, which guarantees the accuracy of the course.

The watch mechanism is connected to the case by means of four bridges, which are made in the form of bones attached to the skull.

Nikolai Valuev, Deputy of the State Duma

Watch: Graham, Grand Silverstone Luffield

Price: ≈1 million rubles

The Graham Grand Silverstone Luffield was inspired by high-speed auto racing. This is evidenced even by the name of the model, which is borrowed from one of the most difficult turns of the famous track at Silverstone.

The watch is massive – just to match the hand of Nikolai Valuev, a former boxer weighing over 140 kilograms and taller than 2 meters and 10 centimeters.

The watch strap is made of rubber, it has a characteristic pattern that repeats the tread of a racing car.

Watches can not be called both sports and classic. They seem to be made for a professional boxer who changed the ring to the Duma’s meeting room.

Sergei Shoigu, Minister of Defense

Watch: Breitling, Emergency Mission

Price: ≈160 thousand rubles

The Minister of Defense chose the most practical, reliable and functional watches in this selection. They have a complex titanium case that protects them from bumps and drops.

The watch is very accurate, it can keep time to the hundredth of a second. But that’s not what’s most interesting about them.

The Breitling Emergency Mission is the world’s first watch with a built-in dual-frequency homing beacon. With it, the owner can send a distress signal, and he can be detected within 350 kilometers.

The manufacturer positions watches for adventurers, emphasizing that the chance to survive even in the most difficult situations with them increases significantly.

Vladislav Surkov, state adviser

Watch: Piaget G0A35130

Price: ≈1.5 million rubles

Vladislav Surkov wears an ultra-compact Swiss watch with a white gold case. They have one of the thinnest mechanisms — only 2.35 millimeters.

The dial and the back of the watch are covered with a sapphire crystal, which in the latter case opens the door to their inner world and reveals a rotor made of pink gold.

It is an accessory that is recognized by watchmaking experts. He once again emphasizes the possibility of developing wrist devices not only in the smart, but also in the classical mechanical direction.

The State Counselor is called the standard of style in Russian politics, and such watches accurately emphasize him not least.

Alexander Sidyakin, Member of the General Council

Watch: Romain Jerome Titanic-DNA

Price: ≈570 thousand rubles

When designing the bezel of this watch, metal was used from the Titanic ocean liner — the very one that, colliding with an iceberg, drowned in 1912.

Alexander Sidyakin is sure that the watch must match the style and status of the owner. For example, these are perfect for a business suit, which he has hardly taken off lately.

The watch case uses stainless steel and ceramics, they look quite ascetic, but with them the owner constantly carries a piece of history with him.

The watch strap is made of high-quality rubber, and their series is limited to a couple of thousand copies.

Arkady Dvorkovich, Deputy Prime Minister

Watch: «Rocket», «Automatic»

Price: ≈40 thousand rubles

In this case, Arkady Dvorkovich gave preference to watches made in Russia — «Raketa Avtomat». Their manufacturer is one of the oldest manufactories «Petrodvorets Watch Factory».

Jean-Claude Quesnet, the former production director of Rolex, took part in the development of the unique mechanism used in the watch. And in all respects, it is in no way inferior to Swiss brands.

In general, Raketa has been loved in Russia for a very long time — since the 80s. Then, during a trip to Italy, journalists asked Mikhail Gorbachev what perestroika meant for his country.

Then he showed the watch of this brand, pointed to 0 instead of 12 and stressed that after it Russia started life anew. The company has left the traditional numbers on the dial for modern models.

Dmitry Medvedev, Prime Minister

Watch: Apple Watch

Price: ≈25 thousand rubles

Dmitry Medvedev is an ardent fan of watches, so his collection contains both smart and mechanical watches for all occasions. However, it is the Apple Watch that most often appears on his arm.

Apple watches appeared in his hands in 2015 — then they were not yet officially sold in Russia, and he became almost the first politician who managed to try them.

It’s hard to tell from the photos which particular Apple Watch appears on his arm, but we’re guessing he successfully upgraded to the Series 3 at launch.

The Prime Minister prefers the Space Gray model and buys the most affordable aluminum versions of the watch. He perceives them not as an item of luxury or status, but as a convenient gadget for every day. That is what they are.

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia

Watch: Blancpain, Leman Chronographe Flyback Grande Date ref.2885

Price: ≈625 thousand rubles

Blancpain Leman Chronographe Flyback Grande Date — the President of Russia wears far from the first such watch on his hand. He has an interesting habit of giving them to ordinary people in different parts of the country.

For example, in 2009, Vladimir Putin presented such a watch to a worker at the Instrument Design Bureau, who himself asked the president about it. And before that, he gave the same model to the son of a shepherd in the Republic of Tuva.

This is the most conservative watch model in this collection — a simple and solid stainless steel accessory that is not afraid of water and can correctly show time up to 38 hours from one factory.

The only interesting feature of the watch is the alligator leather strap with folding clasp.