Trump’s 'Swiss-made' watches traced to a derelict strip mall in Wyoming, CNN investigation reveals
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: Donald Trump's latest business venture, a line of limited-edition watches he promoted as "Swiss-made" and priced from $499 to an astonishing $100,000, has come under scrutiny after a CNN investigation revealed some eyebrow-raising details, as per The New Republic.
The former president has often touted his business acumen, and this time, he boasted about the Swiss precision of his new timepieces. However, what CNN discovered about their origins raises more questions than answers.
Donald Trump's watches linked to TheBestWatchesOnEarth LLC registered in Sheridan
According to CNN’s investigation, the watches are linked to TheBestWatchesOnEarth LLC, a company registered in the remote town of Sheridan, Wyoming.
The listed address for the company is part of a small shopping center that doesn't exactly scream Swiss luxury or high-end craftsmanship.
Instead of finding a bustling watch factory, CNN reporters discovered a daycare center in the building.
The surrounding businesses include an H&R Block, a Wendy’s, and a vape and hemp smoke shop, further casting doubt on Trump’s claims of the watches’ high-end pedigree.
Adding to the mystery, there was no visible sign of a watch company operating at the address, and attempts to contact the people behind the LLC proved unsuccessful.
TheBestWatchesOnEarth LLC was registered just two months before Trump announced his flashy new watch line. It shares its address with several other odd businesses, including the company that produced Trump’s infamous gold sneakers, and, interestingly enough, a lobbying firm representing Montenegro's government.
Also housed at the same location is Kingdom Honey LLC, which sells controversial “male enhancement honey” products that have been flagged by the FDA for safety concerns.
Despite CNN's best efforts, they were unable to uncover any clear ties between Trump and Kingdom Honey LLC.
When they reached out to a spokesperson for the honey company, they were met with a curious response. The spokesperson described Kingdom Honey as a “highly reputable company” but refused to answer CNN’s specific questions.
Notably, none of these questions even mentioned Trump by name, yet the spokesperson’s refusal to engage with the media seemed strategic.
“We’ve received direction from our leadership in the US not to engage with any news agencies (specifically CNN) until after November 5,” the spokesperson stated—an interesting date, as it coincides with Election Day.
TheBestWatchesOnEarth LLC was registered only two months before Donald Trump’s announcement
One of the few connections CNN was able to make between the various businesses housed at the Wyoming strip mall was an organizer named Andrew Pierce, who reportedly operates out of an office in Sheridan.
However, when CNN attempted to contact Pierce, they were told that he spends most of his time at the company’s headquarters in Puerto Rico.
This layer of international operations further deepens the mystery surrounding the true origins of Trump’s “Swiss-made” watches.
Pierce’s father, Mark Pierce, who is an attorney and Andrew’s business partner, did respond to CNN’s inquiries.
Mark Pierce seemed surprised to learn that two of his firm’s clients had ties to Trump.
In an eyebrow-raising statement, he distanced himself from the former president.
“If Mr Trump or anyone in his family were on the same side of the street I was on, I would cross the street,” Pierce remarked to CNN, clearly signaling his disapproval of Trump.
TheBestWatchesOnEarth LLC’s registration in July, only two months prior to Trump’s announcement, raises red flags about its legitimacy as a high-end watchmaker.
It’s possible the company was created solely to back Trump’s latest product, much like his previous ventures that have ranged from gold sneakers to the now-infamous Trump Steaks.
The business’s opaque nature fits a pattern that has characterized many of Trump’s endeavors, both in politics and the private sector.
