Watch Paparazzi

Politician Xi Jinping spotted wearing Omega

Xi Jinping was photographed wearing an Omega Constellation Globemaster in a steel and Sedna gold configuration during what appears to be an official televised address or state function. The sighting is significant given that senior Chinese officials are typically expected to demonstrate restraint in personal accessories, and yet the Globemaster — Omega's most technically certified production watch — has appeared on the President's wrist on more than one occasion, making it a recurring and deliberate choice.

The watch itself is the Omega Constellation Globemaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer 39mm, most likely reference 130.20.39.21.03.001. The 39mm stainless steel case is paired with a fluted bezel rendered in Omega's proprietary Sedna gold — a rose-gold alloy containing copper, palladium, and gold that resists fading over time. The midnight blue dial is clean and restrained, featuring applied bar indices and Sedna gold-toned handset. A date aperture sits at 6 o'clock flanked by the signature Globemaster star, and the bracelet alternates steel and Sedna gold links in a classic two-tone execution. Inside runs the calibre 8901, a METAS-certified Master Chronometer movement accurate to 0/+5 seconds per day and resistant to magnetic fields exceeding 15,000 gauss.

From a collector standpoint, the Globemaster occupies a compelling niche. Launched in 2015 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the original Constellation, it deliberately revives the pie-pan dial architecture and fluted bezel of the 1950s references while delivering a movement specification that surpasses virtually every entry-level Swiss manufacture. It is not a grail piece in the grey-market sense, but its technical credentials are frequently underappreciated.

For Xi Jinping, the choice of a Swiss luxury watch is politically layered. China's leadership has faced periodic scrutiny over visible luxury consumption following anti-corruption campaigns, and the Globemaster — retailing well below Rolex Daytona or Patek Philippe territory — represents a calibrated middle ground: recognisably prestigious, internationally legible, but not ostentatious.

At retail, the two-tone 39mm Globemaster sits around $6,300 USD. Grey market prices have softened somewhat, tracking slightly below retail — making this among the better-value propositions in the Master Chronometer lineup for buyers who prioritise movement quality over brand cachet.