Kristi Noem with a €50,000 Rolex Daytona on a Prison Visit. Was that a smart decision?

Kristi Noem with a €50,000 Rolex Daytona on a Prison Visit. Was that a smart decision?

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made headlines this week, but not just for her policies. During a high-profile visit to El Salvador’s notorious Terrorism Confinement Center, Noem was seen wearing one of the hardest-to-get luxury watches in the world: the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona in solid 18-karat gold.

The Daytona retails for around €47,000, but good luck finding one for that price. Thanks to insane demand and Rolex’s tight supply chain, secondary market prices usually go way past €50,000 easily. It’s the kind of watch you buy when you want people to know you’ve made it - or, at the very least, when you want to flex just a little.

Source: BusinessInsider

The Watch vs. The Setting

Noem’s choice of wristwear immediately started some debate. Here she was, standing in one of the world’s toughest prisons - home to hundreds of deported Venezuelan migrants accused of gang activity - wearing a watch that costs more than what most Americans make in a year.

“If you come to our country illegally, this is one of the consequences you could face,” Noem declared in a video she posted to X (formerly Twitter), standing in front of a row of imprisoned men.

The response was quick. And ruthless.

Of course, Noem’s team defended the watch. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, told Business Insider that Noem had purchased it using royalties from her bestselling books. “It’s an item she can wear and one day pass down to her children,” McLaughlin said.

Source: BusinessInsider

The Daytona Effect

Maybe the outrage wouldn’t have been so crazy if Noem decided to wear something a little less ostentatious. First introduced in 1963, it was designed as a racing chronograph, but over the decades, it’s become one of the most desirable pieces in Rolex’s lineup. Paul Newman had one. John Mayer’s a fan. And thanks to Rolex’s supply issues, even the standard stainless-steel models can go for double their retail price on the resale market.

The version Noem was wearing is on a whole different level. Solid gold, huge, and unmistakably high-end. Within the Rolex family, it's hard to go more exclusive than this.

Which raises the question: was Noem intentionally making a statement, or was this just her daily driver?

What This Means for the Trump Administration’s Image

Luxury watches have always been political, whether politicians like it or not. Bill Clinton famously wore a humble Timex Ironman. Barack Obama had a Jorg Gray 6500, which cost under €500. Even Trump himself, despite his love for gold everything, mostly wears a Vacheron Constantin or a Patek Philippe, brands that, while pricey, fly under the radar compared to a full-gold Rolex.

Noem’s Daytona, however, is the exact opposite of subtle. It’s loud. It’s flashy. It screams money. And in the world of political optics, that matters.

Source: BusinessInsider

The Bottom Line

Is it a crime for a politician to own an expensive watch? Of course not. But context is everything. Wearing a solid-gold Rolex Daytona to a prison known for its harsh conditions and controversial detainment policies? That’s a choice - one that people are going to notice and talk about.