In truth, the presentation of a Vulcain Cricket to Bill Clinton was quite low-key. As I recall from a conversation with Keijo Paajanen, a Vulcain watch was presented via the US embassy -
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSYC1AASZuuMX8ZcyL7AL-hp3-Z6OQV8KFfElY6LvyJqTQjCBhHECpAI_HdRTbUFADMbUFYLCOpkRceA_fpiMuMH3P1q13D4E30_d3Gk_BG19m-JUxYnDj_RhfPjJ_NTmWEHt-4T0hjRg5YpxNs4R6wPhvGqS9zpydqu1JHynU-5yQFuG4ojNS_sn45A=w640-h480) |
Courtesy of the Paajanen Family |
And a thank you note was sent -
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcmrtT6o56a-ll-Wut74fQ3W46CxcPhoszY5FkHRkcD8pr0ze8w2RfTc2HI1b-yHOG5zpOf1sns40VScIxxRk2HpRkMQuvylYtq8uAvh762ySk5n6JYzSvojzsrq7SlPOd7zQZ7UYII-_kK7CJVxQRc0HrWHCs5Q7yNP2nGDzWeyvnjmzTbB3_QR6coQ=w486-h640) |
Courtesy of the Paajanen Family |
And apart from that, you'd never know Bill Clinton had received a Vulcain Cricket. And this presents one of the great challenges with presenting a sitting President with a gift beyond a relatively modest monetary value. Long story short, the Office of Protocol has a crew of people who spend their days cataloging gifts (to EVERYONE working in Federal Government). They research the value, and not unlike a certain religious relic in a movie (the Arc of the Covenant that was brought back by a certain professor of archeology), more often than not dispatch them to the National Archives. If the sitting President is willing to write a check, they may keep the item.
Join us next time as the Cricket lands in the hands of The Man From Plains.
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