Vladimir Putin's Very Expensive Watch Fetish

Image courtesy: AP

Russian President Vladimir Putin has a collection of watches worth almost six times his official annual salary of £72,000 (approx Rs 62 lakh), according to an IANS report.

One of the watches - made from platinum with a crocodile skin strap - sells for more than £300,000 (approx Rs 2.5 crore) alone. It is called Tourbograph and is made by German watchmaker A Lange & Sohne, the Daily Mail reported.

The revelation has raised questions about how the Russian president can afford such a lavish collection. Details of Putin's watches were revealed in a video produced by the Russian opposition group Solidarity and posted on YouTube.

It goes on to contrast the Russian president's watch with a £225 (approx Rs 19,000) watch that US President Barack Obama has been seen wearing.

The video alleges that Russia's political and religious leaders have an obsession with expensive timepieces.

Putin's Watch Obsession

In addition to £300,000 Tourbograph masterpiece, Putin also has a £6,450 (approx Rs 5.5 lakh) Flyback also made by A Lange & Sohne.

He is also seen wearing a £39,000 (approx Rs 33 lakh) Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar. And remarkably he is on his fourth £7,000 (approx Rs 6 lakh) Blancpain watch called Leman Aqya Lugn Grande Date.

The watches are worth at least 22 million rubles, Solidarity claimed, while his salary is listed as 3.6 million rubles.

Source: IANS