Commander, is the watch you are wearing made in China?

Indonesian Commander-in-ChiefMoeldoko

1.Criticised as extravagant, responding with a “replica watch”

Media reports surfaced that Indonesian military chief Moeldoko has a penchant for collecting luxury watches, noting that he wore a limited-edition luxury timepiece during a certain interview programme. This news attracted immense attention from the Indonesian public, sparking continuous criticism from all sectors. Ultimately, the Commander-in-Chief explained that the watches he wears are all replicas, stating that collecting these fake watches was merely to satisfy his curiosity about watchmaking craftsmanship. Seeing this tough guy's explanation seems rather pitiful—a dignified Commander-in-Chief unable to even afford a genuine article, bringing shame to the heavenly kingdom's “watch-wearing” “officials”.

II.Chinese-made “replica”

At the press conference, the Commander-in-Chief claimed that what he was actually wearing was a Chinese-made “replica” priced at only430USD. Previously, however, reports stated that the watch on Moeldoko's wrist was a designer piece worth10USD. Interestingly, after the officer dropped the watch and trod on it publicly for journalists to inspect, it was found that the watch still worked, crucially without a single scratch. It seems Made in China is set to shine once again, this time vindicating its “quality”.

III.Richard.Mille Americas Collection edition

Richard.MilleAmericas Collection edition

Attentive journalists discovered that the “fake watch” mentioned by Moeldoko is actually from the luxury Swiss watch brand “Richard.Mille”, and the model he wore belongs to the Americas Collection, known as the “Black Kite”, with a global production of30-40pieces, making it extremely expensive.

    Finally, the officer concluded his explanation by saying, “I can draw inspiration from this watch; if a country can innovate, it can progress. Every time I look at this watch, it reminds me to strive for innovation”. It seems the Commander-in-Chief truly keeps his country in mind at all times, which is perhaps why the public could let him off so easily.