Rabat – French President Emmanuel Macron subtly took off a luxury watch in the middle of a television interview where he was defending his controversial pension reform proposal.
Videos spreading on social media show the president taking the watch off while answering a question during an interview which took place at the Elysee Palace.
The footage shows Macron putting his hands under the table and removing the watch. When he brings his hands back up, the watch is nowhere to be seen.
According to France Info, the timepiece is a Bell&Ross BRV 1-92 that is worth approximately $2,600 and carries the colors of the president’s security unit, GSPR. The watch was also spotted on his wrist at the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.
The report goes against what many social media commentators claimed, as they thought the watch was an F.P Journe that cost $86,000.
“€2,400 is expensive but it’s 40 times less than prices circulating on the internet,” France Info wrote.
The footage has not helped Macron’s image, as the president’s opposition claim that he supports the rich and is completely detached from and unbothered by the concerns and harsh living conditions of ordinary French people.
Many across France have over the past days taken to the streets to protest Macron’s pension reforms, resulting in massive strikes that have affected many vital sectors such as transport. Several of France’s airports have seen disruptions and flight delays as crucial workers continue striking.
Macron used controversial special constitutional powers to force through a rise in the pension age last week. The proposed reform had been rejected by opposition MPs and workers throughout the country for months.
