The Vulcain Cricket I Would Make

Okay, Vulcain currently seems to be intent on making a zillion versions of the same models, just in different colors... meaning...

Lots of SKUs and several "highly collectible limited editions" are still unsold despite fairly modest limited edition numbers....

And I love my two Crickets, the Paajanen / Ditisheim -

And my date model -

But as I am doing the final edits on the Vulcain Cricket / US Presidents volume 2 edition, I am reminded of what President Johnson, and (at the time) Vice President Nixon mentioned about their Vulcain Crickets - that they depended upon them to act as their alarm clock around the world.

So rather than taking the same base model and slapping a new dial on it with a dubious limited edition claim to fame (next time, maybe reach out to the families before naming a model after their relative?) maybe try something a little bit different?

Now there is something in the not-too-distant past, the Cricket Aviator -

Shamelessly borrowed from the world-wide infoweb

And for my money, this would be one to re-heat. But I might propose a crown + pusher as opposed to the two crown + pusher format. This was done quite nicely by both Girard-Perregaux and Baume Mercier.

Shamelessly borrowed from the worldwide infoweb

At any rate, that is what I would do. But then again, nobody in Le Locle has asked for my opinion on the matter ; )

The Presidents And Vulcain - Joe Biden

And now we get to one of the most misunderstood Vulcain/Presidential connections.

Joe Biden was gifted a Vulcain Cricket from the Paajanen family, Keijo Paajanen specifically. It was presented to him while he was still Vice President in 2011. In fact, he received his even before the Vulcain Cricket that Keijo presented President Obama. It is also worth noting that President Biden is the one President in modern times who actually paid for and kept the gift that he received. And also interesting to relate, his was the "base" model - stainless steel. It is, in fact, just like this one -

As Keijo's brother Rauno put it in his communication with Penelope Colston of the New York Times, in many ways it's as if Keijo gave the Cricket to Joe Biden first as he maybe suspected what might be in the future for Amtrak Joe, and there is a slight hint of sadness when I think about this, because I also wonder (in my own way) whether Keijo somehow knew that his time was limited, and that he would not get a chance to present a Vulcain to Joe Biden himself when he actually became President. This is what Keijo's brother Rauno shared with Ms. Colston -

"As I said in the first reply, our family and many others in Finland see the US as a safeguard that Finland can stay as a part of the Western World. The Winter War experience in the family is passed to the future generations. Our family wanted to thank the Presidents for paying a visit to our country. I quote Joe Biden´s letter here:

'Please know it is the kindness of people like you that continually renew my confidence about what we all can achieve together.'

It is a mutual feeling."

Rauno Paajanen

A Grand Day Out - Visiting Vulcain HQ in Le Locle Part 3

Any story about visiting Vulcain HQ would not be complete without a tour of what may be a pretty phenomenal museum in the not-too-distant future. 

Although there are administrative offices on the second (first) floor, and an atelier on the third (second) floor, there is a magnificent, sun soaked area on the first (ground) floor that will make an amazing, albeit small museum should Vulcain ever decide to create one -

Lots of light, lots of beautiful vitrines, and luckily, lots of treasures to display -

This is the same (not exact, but the same) Vulcain Cricket that was presented to President Barack Obama upon his election, and curious to relate? That was the very first Vulcain Cricket ever given as a gift to a United States President.

But beyond that, lots of fun pieces from the archives -

But the archives run far deeper than the past 50 years. The thing that gets lost in all of the (justifiable) buzz about the Cricket, is that Vulcain was a pretty significant producer even before back in the day -

And this includes some pretty esoteric pieces -

But a visit to the Vulcain HQ will also reveal quite a bit of history - some downright historical, and some relatively recent.

While it is certainly true that watch brands are fond of professional footballers (soccer players) and vice-versa, it is worth noting that back before it was a fashionable (or today, overdone) notion to partner with players or teams, Vulcain was one of the first to dip their toes in the partnership waters -

With Real Madrid (above) and Fiorentina 

(below) -

And continued on into more recent times partnering with a Grinnell College graduate from Chicago who opted to pursue music rather than electrical engineering.  

His name was Herbert.  

While we may always wonder what he might have contributed in terms of inventions and developments to improve our daily lives, I personally feel that the world is a much better place thanks to Head Hunters and Future Shock, and Herbie Hancock made the right career choice -

And a small bit of Henki lore - the idea for the Herbie Hancock partnership was born in a seafood restaurant in Beverly Hills, California back in 2011 with the (then) new distributor of Vulcain. I was having dinner with the new North American distributor Mark Wasserman who had just taken over Vulcain having formerly distributed Oris. Oris as you may know had done a slew of jazz musician partnerships, including one of Herbie Hancock's former bandleaders, the son of an East St. Louis dentist and Julliard drop-out, Miles Davis.

In terms of "Presidential" brand ambassadors, it is important to once again try to clarify some misinformation that has continued to swirl around the Vulcain Cricket and its relationship to the Commander in Chief. The Vulcain Cricket gifted to Barack Obama in 2010 was THE FIRST Vulcain Cricket gifted to a US President (sitting or former). 

In fact, it might surprise you to know that before Vulcain presented a Cricket (the Watch of the Presidents) to a US President, Vulcain actually presented a Cricket to the leader of the Soviet Union!  But that is a story that we will be picking up in the next installment of The Greatest Marketing Campaign That Never Was (a marketing campaign).  

Like all good things, my visit had to come to an end, but my nearly 24 year quest to compile a clear and accurate record of the Vulcain Cricket and its relationship with the Presidents of the United States continues. 

It has taken me from Helsinki Finland, to San Francisco, Basel Switzerland, on to Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, La Chaux-de-Fonds and finally to Le Locle.  But the quest continues, so please stay tuned!

And nearly 24 years later, our story will take us to Finland.

And I will introduce you to a family that with the help of the son of the inventor of the Vulcain Cricket reinvigorated the the legend of the Watch of the Presidents.

Until then - Tempus Fugit!

The Greatest Marketing Campaign That Never Was (a marketing campaign) - Part 4

Enter the man from California 

Richard Nixon is the first, and at the time of this writing only US President to be born in California. Nixon entered the national political arena in the same election as fellow future President, John F. Kennedy. They were both elected to the House of Representatives the same year. Nixon was first a Congressman, then was elected to the Senate, when in his his first term his name was put forward in a smoke-filled room to be the running mate of future President Eisenhower. 

In many ways he was about as unlikely a future president as the man he succeeded in the Oval Office, President Johnson. Seeming set to follow in the footsteps of Eisenhower, he lost the 1960 election to his fellow freshman representative, John F. Kennedy. He spent the next eight years in a political wilderness. Counted out by many, he   came back to win the 1968 election. 

And now we have to once again clarify some of the perceived notions as to provenance as it pertains to the Vulcain Cricket and the Presidents of the United States. It is indeed true that Richard Nixon owned a Vulcain Cricket. It is also true that his Vulcain Cricket was a gift. But what has (unfortunately) been misunderstood or simply poorly researched is the actual source of the gift. 

Courtesy of Vulcain

As Vice President, Richard Nixon gave a talk to the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors. He was then presented with (spoiler alert) a Vulcain Cricket.  The then Vice President sent this rather praiseworthy note to Vulcain in 1960 -

"This watch was presented to me on the occasion of my address before the National Association of Watch and Clock Makers on May 20, 1955.  It has given excellent service over the past five years and has served as my alarm clock around the world."

That's correct watch fans, the score thus far is:

Vulcain Crickets worn by US Presidents (and Presidents-to-be) = 4

Vulcain Crickets given by Vulcain to US Presidents (and Presidents-to-be) = 0

Once again, the Cricket itself proved to be one of the best "brand ambassadors" out there. 

I was very fortunate in preparing these dispatches to be introduced to Michel Ditisheim, the former head of Vulcain and son of the Cricket's creator, Robert Ditisheim. He was kind enough to invite me over to discuss Vulcain the last time I was in La Chaux-de-Fonds. We talked about the Cricket, and he helped me to discern fact from (if not fiction), some misunderstandings held by more than a few journalists and Vulcain enthusiasts at large.

According to Mr. Ditisheim, the first time that Vulcain presented a Cricket to a US President was when Barack Obama was elected - some 56 years after the first Vulcain Cricket appeared on the wrist of a US President, courtesy of the White House Press Photographer’s Association.
So you're probably saying -

"Wait a minute, Henki! You claimed that every US President since Truman except Kennedy and George W. Bush has either owned or been presented a Vulcain Cricket!"  

Yes, gentle reader, I said exactly that. But the Cricket was about to stop chirping, at least around 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for the next 20 years or so.

This brings us to the close of the first chapter of the story of the Vulcain Cricket and the Presidents of the United States. 

But stay tuned! We will be back with the story of how a seemingly forgotten watch and an unlikely retailer over 1500 miles away and his family helped revive and nurture the relationship between the Vulcain Cricket and the Presidents of the United States.

Bringing It All Back Home - Vulcain Part 1

What you are about to read will not be entirely objective. A real love story never can be.

Earlier last week I found myself in the beautiful villa that is now home to Vulcain in Le Locle, Switzerland.

Regular readers will know that I have written pretty exhaustively about Vulcain, and in particular the Vulcain Cricket and its standing as the Watch of the Presidents. And it has been interesting, because in truth it seems as if there have been three different narratives or histories all competing for recognition as the true story. And thanks to the amazing Carla Duarte at Vulcain, I will now be able to share with you, Gentle Reader, the whole story. Because in truth? All three stories are certainly true, but each is only one piece of the bigger story.

So stay tuned, this is the first in a special, extensive series on Vulcain, the Presidents, and the families who cared for the Vulcain Cricket as true stewards and ambassadors not only for a watch, but for all that this humble alarm watch has come to represent.

Stay tuned!

President Biden - Your Vulcain Cricket Is Ready!

So after a whirlwind weekend of watches and friends in Hagerstown, I woke up this morning to find this email from the North American representatives for Vulcain -

Dear James,

It was great to see you this past weekend at the Watch/Whiskey/Wine collectors’ show in Hagerstown, MD. I hope we will do it again!

I am writing to you to ask for your help. As you are someone who has written extensively about the Vulcain Cricket, and its unique relationship with the President of the United States, we were hoping you might know some way to let the White House know that President Joe Biden's Vulcain Cricket (and another ladies version, made for Vice-President Kamala Harris!) are ready to be presented to them?

With best regards,
Thierry

Thierry Chaunu
President & Managing Partner
BeauGeste, Inc.

So needless to say, I am having a bit of a Forrest Gump moment!

Watch fans will note that President Truman started the whole "Watch of the President's" thing, as he was presented a Vulcain Cricket from the White House Press Photographer's Association in 1953. Presidents Johnson and Nixon also received one before the lights were dimmed at Vulcain.

Enter the Paajanen family of Helsinki, Finland. Regular readers will note that I first discovered Vulcain while killing time between lessons back in the late 1990s. The Paajanen family had picked up the torch from Vulcain and were partnering with Revue Thommen (who held the rights to the name) to produce the Vulcain Cricket. Yes, they did sell some, but their main motivation was to present these wonderful watches to visiting Presidents and Vice Presidents of the US.  

Carrying on the earlier tradition, the Paajanens then presented watches to Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush senior, Bill Clinton, President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden -

Courtesy of Keijo Paajanen

Keijo and I knew each other a wee bit in Helsinki, but I feel that we truly did develop a sort of penpal relationship via email once I had returned to the US.  Perhaps not unlike Julia Child and Avis DeVoto. We wrote not infrequently, Keijo would update me about the latest Cricket awarded to the latest President to visit Helsinki.

Sadly, Keijo passed away a few years back, and I was worried that apart from the very "select" group of Tempus Fugit readers out there, he and his family's efforts to keep the Vulcain Cricket alive and "chirping" would fade from memory.  Thankfully Penelope Colston of the New York Times picked up the story and shared it -

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/03/fashion/the-presidents-watch-vulcain-cricket.html

So, President Biden, it seems that we have the same model -

So I have been asked to do what I can to reach out and let you know, that you are getting a Presidential upgrade from Vulcain!

#PresidentBidensWatch

So Mr. President, if you are reading this please let me know so that the folks from Vulcain can get your watch to you!

Inauguration Day

It's Inauguration Day in the US. And while it's been (honestly) a pretty freaky few weeks, we hold our collective breath and hope for a return to calm. And like many, I have had to remind myself that the US is an imperfect place, founded on ideals that are only as strong as the character of the people who live here. And I am many things, among them a hopeless romantic who hopes that we will always hear the voices of our better angels. 

Going way back, a Vulcain Cricket has been intertwined with the President of the US. The first being President Truman when a Vulcain Cricket was presented to him by the White House Press Photographer's Association. 

Even during the intervening years, a Vulcain Cricket found it's way onto the wrists of US Presidents albeit with the help of another romantic - Keijo Paajanen.

And the romantic in me hopes for 2 things -

1.  Vulcain will pick-up where Keijo left off (he passed away suddenly at the too-young age of 54), and do more than simply stick a watch in the "inter-office" mail. Presenting a Vulcain Cricket to the President of the United States is a BIG DEAL.  Bring back some of that magic, don't just phone it in.

2.  Include Keijo Paajanen and his father in the official history of Vulcain. They contributed to the history of Vulcain even when, in truth, there was no Vulcain. Leaving the Paajanens out of the "official" story is wrong.  They must be included, in particular Keijo, if for no other reason that they picked up the torch of Vulcain and carried it forward. Never seeking financial assistance from Vulcain once the company was brought back to life. 

Some Watches, a Friend, and Life

This is one of the Paajanen era Vulcain Crickets.

For those just tuning in, you can read about the one-time custodians of the Vulcan Cricket and their tradition of presenting Vulcain Cricket watches to Presidents visiting Helsinki here -

http://www.tempusfugit.watch/2015/02/a-vulcan-cricket-presidents-day.html

A few months ago, I received word via Linkedin that the last connection to that era for Vulcain had passed away.  His name?  Keijo Paajanen.  He was still a young man, and was enjoying his next phase of life as a budding entrepreneur in Helsinki following the closure/sale of his family's store (if I understood that aspect correctly). 

I can't claim that Keijo and I were lifelong friends, but I can say that I was glad to have him as my friend, and always appreciated his efforts to help me in writing about the Cricket, and I admired his tireless efforts to continue his family's tradition of presenting a Vulcain Cricket to visiting US Presidents.  Keep in mind, there was NOTHING in it for him.  He was, essentially, giving away something he could just as easily have sold.  But he still did it.

He was a true ambassador of the Vulcain brand, and I would go so far as to encourage Mr. Magada to create a basic model in honor of him.  Of course, I realize that is highly unlikely.  You see, Keijo Paajanen was, as his father before him, a romantic.  And sadly, there are far too few Keijo Paajanen's in the watch business these days.

Now I've held off on writing about this for several months.  I reached out to contacts in Helsinki to see if they could find an obituary, etc., and they found nothing.  But I can also say that every effort myself and others have made to contact him via email and social media have gone unanswered.
And if it is so, then I am truly sad, as he was an important person in my watch journey, and a true steward of the Vulcain legacy.

But life is funny, and stranger things have happened.  There is a not-so-small part of me hoping that maybe he simply packed a rucksack and hopped on his motorcycle one day for a round-the-world getaway, cutting himself off from social media, etc., and that maybe his Linkedin connection got it wrong, and that maybe, one of these days, a reply to my email to him will pop into the Tempus Fugit in-box, along with photos from far-away lands, selfies of him smiling broadly, wearing his personal Vulcain Cricket.  That's the hope that I am holding onto.

Enjoy your watches

A Vulcain Cricket President's Day

Okay, this has run before in various iterations, but as it is President's Day here in the "Land of the Free" I thought I'd re-heat this one a bit for you.

Now while it is true that president's have had various watches of note, it is, in fact, the Vulcain Cricket that has gotten the most "mileage" in terms of the number of US President's who have received and worn them.  This tradition started back before many of you readers were born.  President Johnson was presented one, and got so "wound - up" that he dispatched staffers to scour watch stores for Vulcan Cricket watches so that he could present them as gifts.

Vulcain, like so many other watch brands, bet big on The River card back in the late sixties/early seventies and got, well, "Rivered".  Per Wikipedia (as this is a lot cleaner than the Urban Dictionary):

river

The river or river card is the final card dealt in a poker hand, to be followed by a final round of betting and, if necessary, a showdown. In Texas hold 'em and Omaha hold'em, the river is the fifth and last card to be dealt to the community card board, after the flop and turn. A player losing the pot due only to the river card is said to have been rivered.

But time heals all wounds and Vulcain was brought back to life not by a fund manager or wealthy hedge fund in the UAE.  No, it was a small family jewelry store in Helsinki Finland.  They worked with Revue Thommen to create a new version of the Vulcan Cricket -

This one is mine ; )

So this President's day, let's take a look back -

Keijo Paajanen and his family brought Vulcan back and the tradition of presenting a Vulcan Cricket to US Presidents and others was re-born.  Here's a few excerpts from the Q & A with Mr. Paajanen -

How is it that you and your family got involved with the Vulcain Cricket in the first place?

Keijo Paajanen - It was through a meeting we had with Mr. Michel Ditisheim in Switzerland.  He was the Director for MSR (Montres Suisse Reunion) and a shareholder for Revue Thommen S.A.   It was actually his father Robert Ditisheim who originally created the Cricket!


JH - Helsinki, Finland is a long way from the US.  What was it that motivated your family to start presenting the Vulcain Cricket to US Presidents in the first place?

KP - As many watch historians and fans know, there was in the past a tradition of presenting a Vulcain Cricket to US Presidents.  We wanted the great story to continue and also because our family has always wanted to have good relations with the USA. My father and his family escaped from advancing Russians (Soviets) in 1939 (JH notes - this is the period of the Winter War).

JH - Who have you presented Vulcain Crickets to?

KP - To Ronald Reagan, George Bush (and same time Gorbachev), Gerald Ford (I personally met), Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter (I met also personally) and finally last year to Vice President Biden.

Well, time has since moved on, the Paajanen's are no longer in the jewelry business, but Keijo is kind enough to stay in touch and share stories about what were for me the glory days of Vulcain.