France election 2012: a flash of bling as Nicolas Sarkozy hides his £50,000 watch

Sarkozy manque de perdre sa montre à la Concorde by LeNouvelObservateur Who thought Ray Bans and chunky watches were a thing of the past with Nicolas Sarkozy, chastened by disapproval for his love of glitz early on in the presidency?

A furtive scene caught on camera proves he is still a die-hard fan of designer watches. As he shakes hands minutes before addressing a crowd of thousands at Paris’s Place de la Concorde, Sarkozy can be seen quickly whipping off his watch and stuffing it into his pocket. According to Novel Observateur, it was a white gold Patek Philippe worth 55,000 euros – a gift from his then fiancée Carla Bruni in January 2008. The French press seem split in their commentaries over whether the gesture was to due to fear of theft or of recalling the “bling bling” period the President has been at pains in this campaign to say he regrets. If Sarkozy hid the watch, perhaps it is because he didn't want to get a taste of his own medicine. In 2008, he was caught on camera pocketing a flashy fountain pen after a signing with the Romanian president.