Understanding And Knowing Are Two Different Things

What we have understood is that Harry Truman was the first US President to own a Vulcain Cricket. 

Original photo credit to ACME Newspictures, inc. (Public Domain).

This is very much a case of "two things being true at once". In the picture above (dated February 2, 1951) you will note two future Presidents of the United States - Dwight David Eisenhower on the left, and Lyndon Baines Johnson on the right. While we cannot be certain of what is on Ike's left wrist, it appears to be a Vulcain Cricket that the Senator from Texas is wearing. 

This was nearly two years before President Harry Truman would be presented a gold Vulcain Cricket by the White House News Photographers Association in 1953.

Original photo credit to ACME Newspictures, inc. (Public Domain).

So where, when, how, and why did LBJ first come to own his first Vulcain Cricket? In truth? At this point nobody knows. Or to put it another way, those who know won't say. And those who will say?

They don't know.

My updated book, The Cricket and the Presidents - An Anecdotal History is available now.

The Cricket and the Presidents - An Anecdotal History

What if? A Second Update!

And it would seem that the challenge has been joined!  Oliver Ike of A. Manzoni & Fils has placed his marker and joined the "Band of Brothers (and sisters)" taking part in the fight to end the poaching of endangered species!

Mr. Sofisti, meet Mr. Ike - you are both forever on my Christmas card list!

So once again (and yes, I can do this all day and night!) here is the original post -

What if?

Dear watch companies,

What if?

What if each one of you could take even $5,000 from your annual budgets and donate it to a common cause?  What if the mighty SWATCH, Richemont, LVMH, ROLEX, Sowind, Audemars Piguet, Patek Phillipe, Ulysse Nardin… what if you all came together with a reasonable contribution with the sole goal of trying to fix an "unfixable" problem?

What if 100 watch companies in the world each contributed $5,000 - or more - to fund rangers to protect elephants and rhinos from poachers?  What if based on that, we could then go to people with even more money?  What if your KINDNESS and willingness to do something that was totally selfless then triggered people like Phil Knight of Nike, or Oprah Winfrey, or Bill Gates - I mean, let's aim high here!  What if that all got so much money - and so much attention, that it would be better financially for a father to become a ranger, rather than to become a poacher?  

And what if that action, created a groundswell in China and Vietnam to help people understand that maybe, just maybe the preservation of a species is more valuable than a dubious aphrodisiac?

So, let's name some names - Biver, Hayek, Hoffmann, Sofisti (THANK YOU!), Stern, Marini, Raffi, Stas and all the rest of you -

Are you really interested in doing something great - or is it just talk and PR?  

What am I asking for?  $5,000 - that is WAY less than you spend on a month of advertising.  

Do you really want to make a mark in the world and not just talk about it?  Here is a chance to do it!

Who is in?