Putin wears a 60,000-dollar watch in comparison with George W.Bush's Timex for $50

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi wears the most expensive watch -  Constantin Vacheron for $540,000

A watch takes a distinctively special place among politicians' accessories. One may say that a watch is the only standard of luxury consumption. Real estate, yachts and jets are hidden from the public eye, as a rule. A watch is something that everybody can see every day. The Russian Newsweek conducted a research to find out which trademarks and models Russian oligarchs and politicians wear.

It turned out as a result of the research that the Russian political, art and business elite prefer gold watches by best Swiss makers that count several centuries of experience. A watch underlines a high public status of its owner.

Russian President Vladimir Putin wears most expensive watch among Russian politicians. The head of state wears a $60,000 Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar watch. Putin wears his watch on the right wrist, the magazine wrote. The cost of Putin's watch is equal to the amount of the president's annual wages. The Russian president makes $60,000 a year. It looks like Putin is rather devoted to this watch brand. In 2003, Putin also had a Patek Philippe, although it was a different model - Patek Philippe Calatrava.

Patek Philippe is a very conservative and expensive brand. Patek Philippe is a watch for rich presidents, presidents and politicians. It is noteworthy, that this brand does not like public advertising. An NTV correspondent decided to find out once if Putin was really wearing a Patek Philippe. “I have heard that the president has one of our watches. It is a rather strict model, although it is not the most complicated one,” a spokesperson for the watchmaker said.

Several Russian deputies and governmental officials also have a fondness for the presidential trademark. Anatoli Chubais, the chairman of the energy giant RAO UES of Russia wears a classic gold Patek Philippe complete with indicator of lunar phases and two additional calendar meters. Chubais wears his watch on the left wrist, though.

President of Alpha Bank, Peter Aven, wears a bourgeois Patek Philippe Annual Calendar that comes in a white metal case. Aven's watch costs not less than $19,000.

Moscow Mayor Yiri Luzhkov owns a Patek Philippe Calatrava for $18,000. A year ago the mayor had a gold watch with a portrait of Alexander Pushkin on the back lid. Luzhkov received the watch as a gift from the company Breguet for the 200th anniversary of the poet.

Chelsea's owner, oligarch Roman Abramovich has a selection of Rolex watches. Now he wears a $29,000 Rolex Daytona, although he had a gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date Submariner for about $19,000 before.

Mikhail Gorbachev wears Omega Constellation, Zhirinovsky owns a Soviet-made Slava watch.

US President George W. Bush is a very modest person: he wears a 50-dollar Timex Indiglo watch. The American president is sure that he will never lose his watch: the presidential watch has a personal engraving on the back: George W. Bush President January 20, 2001.

California governor and Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger wears Audemars Piguet, models Royal Oak Offshore and Paneria Luminor.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who has a great passion for watches, wears the most expensive Constantin Vacheron watch for $540,000.