A photo of Fidel Castro wearing two Rolex watches has been discussed widely since Nicolas Sarkozy was taken into custody. Here is the story behind the photo.
A photograph of the leader of the Cuban revolution Fidel Castro in the office of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been subjected to many speculations since the latter’s arrest as Castro appears to be wearing two luxury Rolex watches. Instead of questioning the allegations against Sarkozy, people in France have been asking this question: “Why was Fidel Castro wearing two Rolex watches?”
It is no secret that revolutionist soldiers used to wear two Rolex watches in Latin America, and this tradition started on the 2 December 1956 when Castro gave Rolex watches to commanders in Cuba, including Che Guevara, because they were tough watches in battlefield conditions.
In most of the photos, Che and Castro appear wearing two watches, a fact the former Cuban president explained as the following: “We were wearing two watches all the time because we have experienced that one watch may let you down. Punctuality is so important in military operations. So, we always wore two. Then, it turned into a habit.”
When Che was executed in an operation in Bolivia, he was wearing the two watches Fidel gave him. CIA agent Felix Rodriguez took one of them from Che while fascist Colonel Andres Selich seized the other one. Selich is known for spitting on Che’s dead body after he had been executed. Ironically enough, he was also lynched in 1973.
Revolutionist leaders must surely be paying attention to the reliability of the watch rather than the brand and the timing of the revolution.
