The Iconic “Presidents’ Watch” Rockets into the Future with a Titanium Makeover

Don’t be alarmed.

Close-up of a silver watch face with intricate geometric pattern, blue hands, and black leather strap.

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The Rolex Day-Date may have earned the moniker “The President” or “Presidential” after President Lyndon Johnson famously wore one during his term in the 1960s, making the watch a popular choice among world leaders ever since.

But the Day-Date is not the only “President” watch, nor is it the original. Swiss brand Vulcain debuted the Cricket as the first dependable, audible mechanical alarm wristwatch in 1947. Six years later, a Cricket was gifted to President Harry S. Truman before he left office. His successor, President Dwight Eisenhower, had already been wearing a Cricket since 1951, and the watch quickly became associated with the Commander-in-Chief.

vulcain cricket watch — A classic example of a Vulcain Cricket.

JFK did not own a Cricket, but President Johnson did, and he wore his frequently. Since Johnson, every president (with the exception of George W. Bush) has been gifted a Vulcain Cricket either during or after their presidency (or, in President Joe Biden’s case, before, as he received his while he was vice president).

As a result, the Cricket is unofficially known as “The Presidents’ Watch,” and today’s incarnation looks pretty similar to those worn by Ike and Truman in the ’50s. But now Vulcain is bringing its icon into the future with a new, hyper-modern version crafted from titanium.

Silver Vulcain wristwatch with intricate guilloché dial, blue hands, black leather strap, and polished stainless steel case. — The Presidents’ Watch is ready for the future.

Crisper Cricket

The Vulcain Cricket Titanium features a 39mm case made of Grade 5 titanium, an aerospace-grade material that’s considerably lighter than steel while also offering tremendous strength and resistance to scratches. (Cheaper Grade 2 titanium is the soft stuff that’s very easily scratched.)

Titanium is a better resonator than steel, meaning it conducts sound more efficiently. That means the titanium case, theoretically, should be a better vessel for the mechanical alarm than steel. But Vulcain didn’t stop at reworking the case.

Close-up of a mechanical watch movement with visible gears, screws, and inscriptions held in a black watchmaker's holder. — The structural components of the reworked movement are made of titanium.

The entire movement has also been reimagined in the superior alloy, replacing components with titanium wherever possible. The mainplate and bridges are made of titanium on the all-new Vulcain Calibre V14 movement, as are the anvil and Vulcain “V” that are fixed to the sapphire caseback.

These two components are crucial in transferring the energy of the movement’s hammer throughout the case to sound the alarm. As a result, the new titanium-powered alarm sound is sharper and crisper than ever before.

Close-up of a mechanical watch movement with visible gears and screws inside a polished titanium case with a leather strap. — The “V” and anvil, both of which are set into the caseback to transfer the sound of the alarm throughout the case, are also made of titanium.

The manually wound movement is nicely decorated with Geneva stripes and blued screws, and it features two mainspring barrels. One provides power to the timekeeping with a reserve of 52 hours, while the other is dedicated to powering the alarm.

Moving on to the dial, it too is made of titanium for a contemporary look. It features a guilloché-inspired pattern, nickel-plated indices and blued hour and minute hands, all of which feel very luxe. White printing encircles the dial with markings for the alarm, which is set with the nickel-plated, black arrow-tipped fourth hand. The dial sits underneath a generously domed sapphire crystal.

Silver wristwatch with intricate geometric patterned dial, blue hands, and black leather strap on dark background. — The titanium dial boasts a contemporary concentric guilloché-like pattern.

Availability and pricing

There are a handful of specs that have yet to be revealed on the Cricket Titanium, namely the thickness of the case and the water resistance. Those numbers are 12.8mm and 50m on the steel version, so I expect the measurements here to be more or less the same.

The Cricket Titanium is available on a range of leather straps, starting at $7,670. Production is limited to just 100 pieces, with priority allocation given to existing clients. The watch will go on sale on June 18.

Silver wristwatch with intricate patterned dial, blue hands, and black leather strap.

Vulcain Cricket Titanium

Specs

Case Size	39mm
Movement	Vulcain Cricket Cal. V14 mechanical alarm
Water Resistance	N/A

$7,670 at Vulcain

About the Author:

Johnny Brayson is an editor at Gear Patrol mostly covering watches. He enjoys watches that are packed with blink-and-you’ll-miss-’em details and believes nearly every watch could stand to be a tad smaller.

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