Vintage & Auctions
A Little Noise? Why Collectors Should Care About the Vulcain Cricket
Few brands can boast a model quite like Vulcain’s Cricket. But this “chirping” timepiece often gets overlooked in the broader category of “Presidential watches.” The Cricket has been a mainstay in the Vulcain catalogue through multiple brand owners for good reason: It is, above all, eminently and uniquely relevant.
By Josh Hendizadeh
Contributor
The Vulcain Cricket was born, albeit in prototype form, in 1942. It took another five years to perfect the mechanism, and the sonically unique Cricket was introduced to the public in 1947.
The watch, and its unique mechanical alarm function, was an instant hit, winning the International Chronometry Competition at the Neuchatel Observatory in 1948. In 1953, the watch truly earned the recognition it deserved when The White House Press Photographer’s Association presented Harry Truman with a solid gold version of the watch as he was exiting the office.
Presidential Gravitas
The back of said watch was famously engraved with the phrase “One More Please,” which was often yelled at the departing President by press shooters during photo ops. This was the beginning of the connection between the timepiece and the U.S. Presidency.
Dwight Eisenhower, Truman’s successor, and a war time legend in his own right, was given one, as was his Vice President Richard Nixon, in 1955. Lyndon Johnson was reported to be a big fan as he purchased his in Switzerland and ordered 200 more to give away as tokens of appreciation during his term. Legend also has it that Johnson would often set the alarm off during meetings in order to leave early, which created a bit of a headache for his Secret Service detail.
Variations on a Theme
There were varying forms of the Cricket produced over the years, including the “Nautical,” which was Vulcain’s dive watch with the noted alarm complication audible underwater. It was introduced in 1961 and had a revival in 2015 based on the iconic 1970s Nauticals. The “Golden Voice,” was a smaller ladies version of the original Cricket. The rarest variations were the the oversized so-called “Jumbo Crickets” found in both stainless steel and 18k gold, which are considered to be a highly undervalued in the collector market.
It is hard to argue with the Vulcain Cricket’s overall relative state of being under valued, in even the broadest sense. You can find excellent Cricket examples in the aftermarket for well under $2,000. What other timepiece can boast such a unique pedigree at that accessible a price?
The Value Game
In this writer’s opinion, the Cricket is undervalued in today’s market because models that build up inflated values tends to shy away from anything that is not new, modern, or well, shiny. But one look at a particularly incredible model, like this one owned by collector Eric Wind with a Presidential Seal, and the clouds can easily part on the watch’s appeal. While the direct history of this watch is unknown, it is truly a remarkable piece of United States history.
Modern Music
The Cricket has had a revival of sorts, starting with the new influence of master watchmaker Guillaume Laidet in 2022. And, while the brand’s most recent models lean decidedly into non-audible dive watches in a new colorful Skindiver Nautique line, revivals like last year’s Vulcain x Seconde/Seconde x Revoltion Cricket Tradition “Vulcain Salute” are making their own “new noise” for the Cricket’s legacy.
To learn more about Vulcain, the Cricket, and its history, visit the watchmaker’s website.
(Front image © Wind Vintage)