Hey all, I spend most of my time at RWG, but thought folks here might get a kick out of it too.
Feeling nostalgic for my years as a reporter in Moscow, I was cruising Russian news sites last night, and came across this great and fairly hilarious online feature from 2009 by Vedomosti (basically the Russian Wall Street Journal) on the Swiss watches of Russia's political elite: http://www.vedomosti...6716/6745#title
The funniest part is that with one exception, it doesn't include any of Russia's official billionaire oligarchs, whom you'd expect to see wearing super-luxury watches -- it's largely cabinet members and rural governors who have official annual salaries that are in the sub-$50k range.
You can page through without knowing Russian -- watch names and prices are in English (pics run from least to most expensive) -- but here are a few highlights:
President Putin with his $3400 IWC Mark XV (he's got MUCH more expensive ones in his collection, but I was amused by this because I just got a Mark XVI rep)...
First Vice-PM Igor Shuvalov with his $6500 PAM, which he wears just to warm RWG members' hearts...
Presidential advisor Vyacheslav "The Grey Cardinal" Surkov with his $9300 Piaget...
Putin classing it up with a $10500 Blancpain...
Former economic advisor German Gref with his $14k Breguet...
One-upped by former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin and his $15k Breguet...
Duma member Konstantin Kosachyov with a classic PP Calatrava, $16k...
Far East regional governor Alexander Khloponin with his trusty Rolex Daytona ($27k)...
Head of the state railways Vladimir Yakunin sporting his $31k Lange...
PM-turned-President-turned-PM again Dmitry Medvedev with his $32k Breguet Classique Moon Phase...
And at last, Deputy Moscow Mayor Vladimir Resin showing off his $425k platinum GreubelForsey Double Tourbillon.
Russia being the No. 1 oil producer in the world and one of the most corrupt places on the planet, there's no point in asking where these gentlemen got their money. What I want to know is, how did they all wind up with such good taste? :huh:
And also -- think anybody's got a rep on? :lol:
Feeling nostalgic for my years as a reporter in Moscow, I was cruising Russian news sites last night, and came across this great and fairly hilarious online feature from 2009 by Vedomosti (basically the Russian Wall Street Journal) on the Swiss watches of Russia's political elite: http://www.vedomosti...6716/6745#title
The funniest part is that with one exception, it doesn't include any of Russia's official billionaire oligarchs, whom you'd expect to see wearing super-luxury watches -- it's largely cabinet members and rural governors who have official annual salaries that are in the sub-$50k range.
You can page through without knowing Russian -- watch names and prices are in English (pics run from least to most expensive) -- but here are a few highlights:
President Putin with his $3400 IWC Mark XV (he's got MUCH more expensive ones in his collection, but I was amused by this because I just got a Mark XVI rep)...
First Vice-PM Igor Shuvalov with his $6500 PAM, which he wears just to warm RWG members' hearts...
Presidential advisor Vyacheslav "The Grey Cardinal" Surkov with his $9300 Piaget...
Putin classing it up with a $10500 Blancpain...
Former economic advisor German Gref with his $14k Breguet...
One-upped by former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin and his $15k Breguet...
Duma member Konstantin Kosachyov with a classic PP Calatrava, $16k...
Far East regional governor Alexander Khloponin with his trusty Rolex Daytona ($27k)...
Head of the state railways Vladimir Yakunin sporting his $31k Lange...
PM-turned-President-turned-PM again Dmitry Medvedev with his $32k Breguet Classique Moon Phase...
And at last, Deputy Moscow Mayor Vladimir Resin showing off his $425k platinum GreubelForsey Double Tourbillon.
Russia being the No. 1 oil producer in the world and one of the most corrupt places on the planet, there's no point in asking where these gentlemen got their money. What I want to know is, how did they all wind up with such good taste? :huh:
And also -- think anybody's got a rep on? :lol:
