The enduring legacy of Ronald Reagan, one of the most popular presidents in American history, is memorialized with this exceptionally rare wristwatch and its personal connection to the Reagan administration. This elegant gold-plated watch was produced in 1981 as a gift for donors who contributed to Reagan’s successful 1980 presidential campaign. The original timepiece, one of a limited edition of 1,000 custom-made by Time In Motion, Inc., of Freehold, New Jersey, is emblazoned with Ronald Reagan’s personal facsimile signature, atop a dial embossed with the official Presidential Seal. A companion watch from this group was gifted to the Ronald Reagan Library’s museum collection in November 2008 and lauded by the library’s registrar as rare, beautiful, and unique given its storied history.
In very fine condition, this watch features a black lizard-grain leather strap, a beautiful German-made dial, and quartz movement. Included is the original leatherette presentation box and slipcover.
As the story goes, these Reagan gift watches were exclusively approved for presentation to 1,000 supporters who made donations of $1,000 or more to the Republican National Committee during Reagan’s 1980 campaign. However, when news broke that White House National Security Adviser Richard V. Allen accepted a pair of Seiko Quartz watches valued at about $340 from Japanese correspondents in November 1981, the Reagan administration’s generous plan was paused. White House officials are barred from accepting any gift worth more than $50, so to avoid further bad publicity, the decision was made to forego the distribution of more gift watches. A total of 950 Reagan watches were dismantled, and the dials were destroyed and returned to the White House. Only 50 watches had been given previously to diplomats and officials. 'It is uncommon that we have such unusual provenance for a gift,' said the Reagan Library registrar in a letter to Time In Motion.
