Watch-obsessed Cambodian PM Hun Sen to give limited-edition timepieces as Asean summit gifts

A video showed the elaborate inner gears of the watch, engraved with “tourbillon” and “twenty-five (25) jewels” and the name of the Cambodian watchmaker, Prince Horology.

The cost of the Cambodian-made timepieces has not been made public.

One expert said photos and videos of the Asean watch appeared to show the sophisticated tourbillon mechanism, which requires a high level of craftsmanship and can carry a six-figure price tag, though he declined to speculate on the value of the Cambodian-made version.

“The mechanism is not vital to accurate timekeeping, but it is marketed as a complicated feature and [part of] a luxury timepiece,” said Jeremiah Chan, an editor at Singapore-based Revolution magazine, which specialises in high-end watches.

The prime minister’s office did not respond to requests for further information on the watches, and Prince Horology – part of the Prince Group owned by Chinese-Cambodian tycoon Chen Zhi – could not be reached for comment.

While some Cambodians criticised the extravagance of the high-end gift, others praised Hun Sen for promoting the country’s fledgling watchmaking ambitions.

The country’s first watchmaking school staffed by Swiss experts opened in 2019.

“It truly represents our country,” said businessman Ramaneth Heur. “These gifts … show that Khmers can do it and enter the world stage.”

Sok Eysan, a spokesperson for Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party, said there was “nothing political or strange” about the watches.

“It is the kindness of the host country to give them as souvenirs to leaders,” he said via telephone.

Asean goodie bags have in the past featured signature handicrafts from the host country, including a silver “lei” or miniature garland of flowers from Thailand in 2019.