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CJLB's avatar

Gripher much?

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Paul's avatar

If (big if) the watch really has 200 grams of 18k gold then the gold alone is worth 12,500 dollars. The diamond are worth jack shit because they're tiny and vs1 isn't that high of a grade. A few dollars each for the diamonds. If I were still a pawnbroker I'd give you about 15 thousand for it and try (big try) to sell it for 40 thousand.

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eddi-SABH's avatar

Trump has always been more successful at scamming greedy fools. The watches will be sold out in a week. Melania's junk by October. 147 watches @ $999,000 (minus wholesale, fell off the back of the armored car, price) = ~147 million. That's still 300 mil short on the fraud trial costs.

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fuflans's avatar

that's ALL he's been successful when you think about it.

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Wookiee Monster's avatar

In case anyone hasn’t figured it out yet, Trump sees running for president as one giant money making scheme. Imagine if a Democrat running for president spent their campaign hawking watches, bibles, fugly shoes, cologne, overpriced silver coins, and NFTs. The fake outrage on Fox would run 24/7 all year long. But for Trump, it’s just another day.

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Daniel O'Riordan's avatar

Okay, they're just fucking with the rubes now, right? The election's over, they're bored, and they want to see just how much money they can grift from the faithful for the stupidest possible products.

"I've got it. We have Manuel collect some dog shit for us, seal it on a plaque with some clear sealant shit, and sell it as actual Chump feces for $700!"

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LuluBean12 StarGeezer's avatar

The closest I've ever seen to this idea was all the shellacked moose turd souvenirs sold in the tourist gift shops back in the 70s in Alaska.

In the summer camp I worked at back then we showed the kids how to make their own for their moms.

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Ward From Cali's avatar

Hm. 18 karat gold is high-end for a watch in one sense. Most gold watches use 12 or 14 karat. Of course, there's a reason for that. 18 karat gold is pretty soft for something that's as exposed as a watch. It's not really wearable.

But that's almost all of the true value of this thing, about $12-13 thousand at current prices. The diamonds are worth maybe $500, if the buyer is feeling generous. We'll assume the watch is pretty much worthless as a watch or a piece of jewelry, it's not like it's an established brand with a real resale value.

So, Trump thinks he can find 147 people willing to give him that much money because they like him so much?

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Daniel O'Riordan's avatar

Within a week, at least three of those "diamonds" would have been lost.

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eddi-SABH's avatar

The spiel on them sounds like Amazon out of China sales pitch. How many will be DOA with zero warranty?

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Khavrinen's avatar

A limited edition of a hundred forty-seven?

Is that another of those Nazi numerology codes, or something? Like "14" or "88"?

Because otherwise it seems like an awfully weird-ass number to pick.

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Rev. Travis 🍄's avatar

Yeah, he's coding many things in this campaign with 47 for the presidential number he'll be if God hates us.

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Hippo Heaven's avatar

All I can figure is that the 47 refers to what Trump hopes to be in January.

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𝔅𝔢𝔢𝔩𝔷𝔢𝔟𝔲𝔟𝔟𝔞's avatar

"Gold vermeil", you will not be surprised to know, is gold plating. The perfect expression of Melania's class and style.

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Tommy Mo's avatar

“Almost entirely made out of 18 Karat Gold (approximately 200 grams across the band, case, and buckle) and decorated with 122 VS1 Diamonds, you will stand out for all the right reasons.”

So, this watch is being marketed to people who are almost entirely made out of 18 Karat gold and decorated with 122 VS1 diamonds? How many of these people can there be?

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fuflans's avatar

honestly that description sounds like it was written by AI.

(i know b/c i'm v v lazy and use AI for anything i sell on ebay)

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Daniel O'Riordan's avatar

Hopefully, 147.

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𝔅𝔢𝔢𝔩𝔷𝔢𝔟𝔲𝔟𝔟𝔞's avatar

Dunno. They should really stand out, for reasons right and far right, but I ain't never seen one.

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diogenez's avatar

Perhaps they've understood the need to accelerate the grift. Once he loses (again) in November, his stock can only plummet further.

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eddi-SABH's avatar

Thursday Truth Social hit $13 and change.

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[Redacted]'s avatar

I don’t think you understand “the economy.” There’s the 1% economy and there’s the trickle down economy. The 1% doesn’t depend on trickles. The 1% depends on how the wealth is distributed. Long as the wealth is steered toward the 1%, “the economy” is in excellent shape.

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Bitter Scribe's avatar

By next year, after Trump loses the election and takes beating after beating in court, look for those watches to pop up on eBay for maybe $200.

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Daniel O'Riordan's avatar

Did anyone get the Trump sneakers that sold out in pre-order?

I would have thought that would have warranted a Wonkette article.

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𝔅𝔢𝔢𝔩𝔷𝔢𝔟𝔲𝔟𝔟𝔞's avatar

If Donnie is to be believed (yeah, I know, I know...) the gold in them thar watches is about 150g, worth roughly $13k. A bog-standard Chinese tourbillon movement is maybe $1k, if they polish it up all nice and shiny-like. (You def ain't gonna get Patek or Rolex guts.) The itty-bitty diamonds might run to $20k depending on size.

Bottom line is they're charging about triple the actual cost of the goods. For that kind of money, you can get an actually-attractive Vacheron 222 and put YOUR name on the fucking thing, which hopefully people won't be snickering at a few years from now.

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Ward From Cali's avatar

You're way off on the diamond value. I estimate $500, tops. Those are TINY. Lower quality (but still gem grade) diamonds that size can be had in bulk for as low as $11 apiece. I think $40 each would be quite generous.

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𝔅𝔢𝔢𝔩𝔷𝔢𝔟𝔲𝔟𝔟𝔞's avatar

Synthetic diamonds in bulk does sound more Trumpian ... it would let him charge 5x the actual value.

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Villago Delenda Est 🇺🇦's avatar

They're selling these things to billionaires as a money laundering scheme, that's what's going on.

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Ambiance Chaser's avatar

It's official, Trump has no interest in anyone's votes (that's what corrupt clerks are for) but everyone's money. Guaranteed, if he served another term, before the end, he would get Congress to pass a tax that explicitly pays Trump the proceeds.

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Daniel O'Riordan's avatar

If he got back in, he'd scream National Security!, jail all the billionaires, and seize all their assets. And those assets would be transferred to an account only he has access to.

Donald knows that he can only achieve inner peace when he has everything and everyone else has nothing.

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elledanselajavanaise's avatar

but then, somewhere, perhaps in a dream, he hears the laughter of a small child, and he knows that even as he has taken everything from everyone, the child still has one thing he can never have. he is the one left with nothing. he howls in impotent rage. in a well executed ballet which betrays long years of practice, his despondent staff promptly place four buckets of ketchup in each room of his seaside palace, to throw at the four walls.

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Babe Paley's avatar

It's all so hideous. Also--FAKE. Also, if you get the watch on the right, how do you know what time it is?

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𝔅𝔢𝔢𝔩𝔷𝔢𝔟𝔲𝔟𝔟𝔞's avatar

That's the backside, which is just as attractive as Trump's. Most of the guts are hidden, for good reason.

An actual high-end watch has the bits on view: https://watchesbysjx.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/A-Lange-Sohne-1815-Rattrapante-Perpetual-Calendar-pink-gold-movement-closeup.jpg

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Birb-General of the US's avatar

This is a very smart way for Trump to get around the 5,000 dollar campaign contribution limit.

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