What Watches Does Jean-Luc Mélenchon Wear?

In the “Who wears what?” section, we’ve already talked about Macron, Sarah Knafo, Jordan Bardella, Édouard Philippe, Eric Zemmour… Let’s look at a case apart: Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the tribune who clearly has less of a taste for Rolex than his idol Fidel Castro.

Where Castro happily sported very visible Swiss crowns, Mélenchon sticks to far more modest watches: an older-generation Seiko 5 automatic Day-Date and a Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 42 mm. Two utilitarian watches, light-years away from the €18,000 fantasised about by a certain rumour.

The fake €18,000 Rolex: autopsy of an urban legend

In 2017, in the middle of the presidential campaign, a photo makes the rounds on social media: Jean-Luc Mélenchon is supposedly whipping up the crowd with, on his wrist, an alleged €18,000 gold Rolex. The combo is perfect for his opponents: the scourge of the rich caught red-handed—or rather, wrist-deep in the crown.

Except the scene is bogus. The image was retouched, and very quickly, people who know how to read a dial realise something doesn’t add up: proportions, bezel, dial—nothing truly matches the watch he usually wears. The Rolex vanishes as quickly as it appeared, leaving behind yet another example of what a mix of bad faith and Photoshop can produce.

In real life, Mélenchon wears a Seiko 5 automatic that costs less than a big family’s grocery run, and a Hamilton Khaki whose price remains reasonable for a modern Swiss watch. Nothing luxurious. Just serious watches for someone who, clearly, doesn’t want his wrist to contradict his message.

The Seiko 5 automatic Day-Date: Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s everyday watch

An older Seiko 5

The watch most often seen on Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s wrist is an automatic Seiko 5 Day-Date. Not a recent model from a neat 2025 catalogue, but an older version, typical of what Seiko mass-produced from the 1980s–90s onwards.

After scrutinising the photos, I can make out several very distinctive elements:

• a knurled or fluted bezel, which adds texture to the case;
• a white dial, understated, no frills;
• Arabic numeral hour markers—and that’s where things get complicated;
• a double Day-Date window at 3 o’clock;
• a diameter of around 37 mm, in the spirit of classic Seiko 5s;
• a black leather strap, fitted in place of the original steel bracelet.

I spent a good while digging through archived Seiko 5 references to find the exact model. Honestly, I haven’t managed to pin down a specific reference that ticks all the boxes at once: the knurled bezel, the Arabic numerals, and that white Day-Date dial. There are credible candidates, but no absolute certainty. And that, too, is the reality of Seiko 5s: dozens of variants, depending on the years and the markets.

So I can say with certainty what the watch is: a 37 mm Seiko 5 automatic Day-Date with a white dial, knurled bezel and Arabic numerals, worn on a black leather strap. What I won’t do is force an invented reference number: for now, this Seiko remains an “insoumise” in the archives (I’m rather proud of that pun).

General specifications of Mélenchon’s Seiko 5

Without locking in a specific reference, we can sketch the technical profile of a typical Seiko 5 of this kind:

• Case: stainless steel, approx. 37 mm diameter.
• Bezel: knurled / fluted, steel finish.
• Dial: white, with Arabic numerals for the hours.
• Complication: double day + date window at 3 o’clock (Day-Date), a Seiko 5 signature.
• Movement: Seiko automatic calibre (very likely from the 7Sxx family), wrist-wound, proven robustness.
• Caseback: solid or display depending on the series, screw-down.
• Water resistance: basic (generally 3 ATM), sufficient for everyday life.
• Strap: black leather, replacing the steel bracelet originally supplied.

On price, new Seiko 5 automatic Day-Date models in the current range now sit around €300 to €400 at retailers. On the pre-owned market, some older references can be found for under €200. For a genuine, reliable automatic with day and date, it’s still, in 2025, a very good deal.

Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 42 mm: the tribune’s field watch

A true modern tool watch

The other watch regularly seen on Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s wrist is a Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 42 mm, reference H70605733. Here we leave popular Japan for a Swiss Made watch, but we stay firmly in utilitarian territory: the Khaki Field is the direct descendant of soldiers’ watches, rethought in a contemporary guise.

Robust steel case, highly legible black dial, large Arabic numerals, a clearly marked minute hand, date at 3 o’clock, and an in-house H-10 automatic movement with an 80-hour power reserve. An instrument designed to follow its owner everywhere, from the benches of the National Assembly to talk-show sets.

At present, this Khaki Field Auto 42 mm is listed at €745. It’s impossible to know the exact price Mélenchon paid for it, or when he bought it, but once again we’re in that “serious but reasonable” price bracket for a modern Swiss automatic.

Specifications of the Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 42 mm (H70605733)

• Reference: H70605733
• Collection: Khaki Field
• Movement: H-10 automatic calibre, three hands + date, 80-hour power reserve.
• Case diameter: 42 mm
• Thickness: 11 mm
• Case: stainless steel
• Dial: black, white Arabic numerals, railway-track minute scale, hands and markers with Super-LumiNova for night-time legibility.
• Crystal: sapphire
• Lug width: 22 mm
• Water resistance: up to 10 bar (100 m)
• Caseback: display, revealing the decorated movement.
• Technical features: anti-magnetic Nivachron hairspring, Super-LumiNova, H-10 movement with 80-hour power reserve.
• Current retail price: approx. €745.

We’re looking at a contemporary field watch here: enough to handle a day of travel, a walkabout, and a few TV debates, without shouting “luxury” in voters’ faces. In terms of image, it conveys seriousness, toughness, work. Not a trophy—an instrument.

A wrist that matches the message

If we take a step back, the Seiko 5 automatic Day-Date + Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 42 mm duo says something very clear about Jean-Luc Mélenchon:

• Modest watches, no ostentatious high-end watchmaking: no gold, no diamonds, no exotic complications. A popular Seiko and a mid-range Hamilton—that’s it.
• Watches meant for real use: both are designed to be worn every day, not to sleep in a safe. Automatic, robust, water-resistant, legible.
• Politically “defensible” prices: even at €745 for the Khaki, we’re still talking meaningful sums for most people, but nowhere near the multi–tens-of-thousands watches that populate certain parliaments.
• Ideological consistency: for a man who rails against symbols of wealth, turning up on set with a €50,000 gold chronograph would be political suicide. Here, on the contrary, the wrist aligns rather neatly with the rhetoric.

You can completely disagree with his ideas, be irritated by his tone, or be won over by his rally speeches. But on at least one point, facts are stubborn: Jean-Luc Mélenchon is not hiding a Rolex under his cuff. He has chosen modest, utilitarian watches that tell more of a story about function than fortune.

FAQ: Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s watches

Does Jean-Luc Mélenchon wear a Rolex?

No. The “€18,000 Rolex” episode comes from a retouched image that circulated in 2017. In reality, he wears an older-generation Seiko 5 automatic Day-Date and a Hamilton Khaki Field Auto.

What is Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s main watch?

His everyday watch is a 37 mm Seiko 5 automatic Day-Date with a white dial, knurled bezel, Arabic numerals, and a double day/date window at 3 o’clock, worn on a black leather strap. The exact reference is difficult to determine, as Seiko’s archives are extremely rich.

Which Hamilton does Jean-Luc Mélenchon wear?

He wears a Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 42 mm, reference H70605733, with a black dial, steel case, H-10 automatic movement with an 80-hour power reserve, display caseback, and 100 m water resistance.

How much do his watches cost?

A new Seiko 5 Day-Date in the current collection can be found at around €300 to €400 depending on the version. The Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 42 mm is listed at about €745. These are serious prices, but far from five-figure luxury watches.

Are his watch choices consistent with his political image?

Yes. Whether you subscribe to his project or not, his watches are relatively modest, robust and functional. A Seiko 5 automatic and a Khaki Field, for a leader of the radical left, is probably about as coherent as it gets on the wrist.