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Tuesday, 25th March 2008 (3396 views)

A gold watch that once belonged to American Revolutionary general and first president of the United States, George Washington, has gone on show as part of a new exhibition of presidential timepieces, according to reports.

The triangular watch, which features Masonic symbols on its casing, was owned by Washington during the American Revolutionary War, during which the country achieved independence from Great Britain.

He is believed to have given the watch to one of his officers following the Battle of Trenton in 1777 as a sign of his esteem.

Now, LancasterOnline reports, the watch is part of Time in Office, a new exhibition at the National Watch and Clock Museum in Colmbia, Pennsylvania, which features timepieces owned by some of the world's most powerful leaders.

The collection, which was drawn from 22 different museums, includes watches owned by former US presidents including Lyndon B Johnson, Richard Nixon and Grover Cleveland, the only man in the history of the country to serve two non-consecutive terms in the Oval Office.

Since it opened in 1977, the National Watch and Clock Museum has grown to include 12,000 items featuring timepieces from England, Japan, China, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Russia.

 

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