Watch the video: President's watch stolen
Bush's Watch Goes Missing While In Albania
One moment President George W. Bush was glad-handing Albanians on Sunday, proudly sporting a watch with a dark strap on his left wrist. Moments later, it was gone.
Did it fall off? Did one of his bodyguards remove it? Or did one of the Albanian thieves artfully slip it off his wrist and pocket it?
The Albanian media and international Web sites is buzzing with video showing Bush's wrist watch apparently disappearing while he was shaking hands with people in Fushe Kruje, 15 miles north of Tirana.
Bush was clearly delighted by the attention and plunged back into the crowd for more handshaking and to be kissed on the cheek.
Wednesday 13 June 2007
The president's watch is missing?
Tirana, Albania - Whatever happened to the president's watch?
One moment President Bush was glad-handing Albanians on Sunday, proudly sporting a watch with a dark strap on his left wrist.
Moments later, it was gone.
Did it fall off? Did one of his bodyguards remove it? Or did one of the crowd artfully slip it off his wrist and pocket it?
Albanian media - and international Web sites - are buzzing over a video showing Bush's wrist watch apparently disappearing while he shakes hands with a jostling crowd of people in Fushe Kruje, 15 miles north of Tirana.
But White House spokesman Tony Snow said Bush's watch was not stolen by someone in the crowd. "The president put it in his pocket and it returned safely home," Snow said
People waiting on the sidewalks Sunday gave Bush a rapturous welcome, shaking hands with him, grabbing him by the arms and wrists, reaching out to embrace him and even ruffling his hair.
Bush was clearly delighted by the attention and plunged back into the crowd for more hand shaking and to be kissed on the cheek.
An Albanian bodyguard who accompanied Bush in the town told The Associated Press he had seen one of his U.S. colleagues close to Bush bend down and pick up the watch from the ground.
The Top Channel private TV station showed how one of his bodyguards may have spoken with the president and then taken the watch from his hand.
Bush's visit to the tiny Balkan country, the first ever by a U.S. president, was considered as historic.
Albania issued three postage stamps with Bush's picture and the Statue of Liberty, renamed a street in front of parliament in his honor, awarded him the highest National Flag medal, and the Fushe Kruje town council declared him an honored citizen.
One moment President Bush was glad-handing Albanians on Sunday, proudly sporting a watch with a dark strap on his left wrist.
Moments later, it was gone.
Did it fall off? Did one of his bodyguards remove it? Or did one of the crowd artfully slip it off his wrist and pocket it?
Albanian media - and international Web sites - are buzzing over a video showing Bush's wrist watch apparently disappearing while he shakes hands with a jostling crowd of people in Fushe Kruje, 15 miles north of Tirana.
But White House spokesman Tony Snow said Bush's watch was not stolen by someone in the crowd. "The president put it in his pocket and it returned safely home," Snow said
People waiting on the sidewalks Sunday gave Bush a rapturous welcome, shaking hands with him, grabbing him by the arms and wrists, reaching out to embrace him and even ruffling his hair.
Bush was clearly delighted by the attention and plunged back into the crowd for more hand shaking and to be kissed on the cheek.
An Albanian bodyguard who accompanied Bush in the town told The Associated Press he had seen one of his U.S. colleagues close to Bush bend down and pick up the watch from the ground.
The Top Channel private TV station showed how one of his bodyguards may have spoken with the president and then taken the watch from his hand.
Bush's visit to the tiny Balkan country, the first ever by a U.S. president, was considered as historic.
Albania issued three postage stamps with Bush's picture and the Statue of Liberty, renamed a street in front of parliament in his honor, awarded him the highest National Flag medal, and the Fushe Kruje town council declared him an honored citizen.
Where's the president's watch?
Whatever happened to the president's watch? One moment President Bush was glad-handing Albanians on Sunday, proudly sporting a watch with a dark strap on his left wrist. Moments later, it was gone.
Did it fall off? Did one of his bodyguards remove it? Or did one of the crowd artfully slip it off his wrist and pocket it?
The United States Embassy in Albania on Tuesday emphatically denied that Bush's watch was stolen during his visit to the country, where he was acclaimed as a hero. Dana Perino, a White House spokeswoman, said the president had his watch again but did not say what happened to it in Albania.
The Albanian media - and international Web sites - is buzzing with video showing Bush's wrist watch apparently disappearing while he was shaking hands with people in Fushe Kruje, 15 miles north of Tirana.
"What the local media is saying is absolutely not true," said an embassy official, who declined to be named.
People waiting on the sidewalks on Sunday gave Bush a rapturous welcome, shaking hands with him, grabbing him by the arms and wrists, reaching out to embrace him and even ruffling his hair.
Bush was clearly delighted by the attention and plunged back into the crowd for more hand shaking and to be kissed on the cheek.
An Albanian bodyguard who accompanied Bush in the town told The Associated Press he had seen one of his U.S. colleagues close to Bush bend down and pick up the watch.
The Top Channel private TV station showed how one of his bodyguards may have spoken with the president and then taken the watch from his hand.
Bush's visit to the tiny Balkan country, the first ever by a U.S. president, was considered as historic.
Albania issued three postage stamps with Bush's picture and the Statue of Liberty, renamed a street in front of parliament in his honor, awarded him the highest National Flag medal and Fushe Kruje town council also declared him an honored citizen.
Did it fall off? Did one of his bodyguards remove it? Or did one of the crowd artfully slip it off his wrist and pocket it?
The United States Embassy in Albania on Tuesday emphatically denied that Bush's watch was stolen during his visit to the country, where he was acclaimed as a hero. Dana Perino, a White House spokeswoman, said the president had his watch again but did not say what happened to it in Albania.
The Albanian media - and international Web sites - is buzzing with video showing Bush's wrist watch apparently disappearing while he was shaking hands with people in Fushe Kruje, 15 miles north of Tirana.
"What the local media is saying is absolutely not true," said an embassy official, who declined to be named.
People waiting on the sidewalks on Sunday gave Bush a rapturous welcome, shaking hands with him, grabbing him by the arms and wrists, reaching out to embrace him and even ruffling his hair.
Bush was clearly delighted by the attention and plunged back into the crowd for more hand shaking and to be kissed on the cheek.
An Albanian bodyguard who accompanied Bush in the town told The Associated Press he had seen one of his U.S. colleagues close to Bush bend down and pick up the watch.
The Top Channel private TV station showed how one of his bodyguards may have spoken with the president and then taken the watch from his hand.
Bush's visit to the tiny Balkan country, the first ever by a U.S. president, was considered as historic.
Albania issued three postage stamps with Bush's picture and the Statue of Liberty, renamed a street in front of parliament in his honor, awarded him the highest National Flag medal and Fushe Kruje town council also declared him an honored citizen.
Now you see it, now you don’t
The president’s naked wrist, sans watch, gives speculators something to speculate about.
TIRANA, Albania | Whatever happened to the president’s watch?
One moment, President Bush was glad-handing Albanians on Sunday, sporting a watch with a dark strap on his left wrist. Moments later, it was gone.
Did it fall off? Did one of his bodyguards remove it?
Or did one of the crowd artfully slip it off his wrist and pocket it?
Albanian media — and international Web sites — are buzzing over a video showing Bush’s wristwatch apparently disappearing while he shakes hands with a jostling crowd of people in Fushe Kruje, 15 miles north of Tirana.
Bush’s watch was not stolen by someone in the crowd, White House spokesman Tony Snow said Tuesday.
“The president put it in his pocket and it returned safely home,” Snow said.
An Albanian bodyguard who accompanied Bush in the town told The Associated Press that he had seen one of his U.S. colleagues close to Bush bend down and pick up the watch from the ground.
The Top Channel private TV station showed how one of Bush’s bodyguards may have spoken with the president and then taken the watch from his hand.
TIRANA, Albania | Whatever happened to the president’s watch?
One moment, President Bush was glad-handing Albanians on Sunday, sporting a watch with a dark strap on his left wrist. Moments later, it was gone.
Did it fall off? Did one of his bodyguards remove it?
Or did one of the crowd artfully slip it off his wrist and pocket it?
Albanian media — and international Web sites — are buzzing over a video showing Bush’s wristwatch apparently disappearing while he shakes hands with a jostling crowd of people in Fushe Kruje, 15 miles north of Tirana.
Bush’s watch was not stolen by someone in the crowd, White House spokesman Tony Snow said Tuesday.
“The president put it in his pocket and it returned safely home,” Snow said.
An Albanian bodyguard who accompanied Bush in the town told The Associated Press that he had seen one of his U.S. colleagues close to Bush bend down and pick up the watch from the ground.
The Top Channel private TV station showed how one of Bush’s bodyguards may have spoken with the president and then taken the watch from his hand.
Embassy calls time on mystery of Bush's missing watch
The people of Albania so revere George Bush that they prepared for his recent visit by awarding him the country's highest medal, renaming a street, giving him honorary citizenship and mobbing him on arrival. And then one, it seems, stole his watch.
Video footage has emerged showing the President on a recent visit amid a rapturous crowd, gleefully shaking hands with surely one of the most enthusiastic foreign audiences he had met in some time, during which his watch mysteriously disappears from his left arm.
Villagers were said to have lined the streets to shake hands with the President during the visit on Sunday, the first by a US President to the country. Some grabbed him by the arms and wrists, others reached out to hug him, some even ruffled his hair. Mr Bush, delighted by the attention and still wearing his watch, a Timex designed for him and bearing his name, plunged into the crowd. Seconds later the watch was gone.
It was unclear yesterday if it had been stolen or fallen off, or whether Mr Bush had taken it off as a precautionary measure before mingling with the crowds in the farming village of Fushe Kruje, north of the capital, Tirana.
Local media reported it as having been stolen, but embassy officials denied the claim. "What the local media is saying is absolutely not true," an unnamed US embassy official said.
A White House spokesman, Tony Snow, insisted that Mr Bush had put the watch into his pocket for safe keeping. "The President put it in his pocket and it returned safely home", he said.
An Albanian bodyguard accompanying Mr Bush said he had seen one of his American colleagues, standing near to Mr Bush, bend down and pick up the watch.
The television channel Top Channel meanwhile showed how one of the President's bodyguards may have talked to him, before taking the watch from his hand.
Among the Albanian honorifics, three stamps bearing Mr Bush's image were also issued, along with one of New York's Statue of Liberty.
The President's visit was part of tour of Europe which took in a total of six countries, and was considered among his most successful.
Video footage has emerged showing the President on a recent visit amid a rapturous crowd, gleefully shaking hands with surely one of the most enthusiastic foreign audiences he had met in some time, during which his watch mysteriously disappears from his left arm.
Villagers were said to have lined the streets to shake hands with the President during the visit on Sunday, the first by a US President to the country. Some grabbed him by the arms and wrists, others reached out to hug him, some even ruffled his hair. Mr Bush, delighted by the attention and still wearing his watch, a Timex designed for him and bearing his name, plunged into the crowd. Seconds later the watch was gone.
It was unclear yesterday if it had been stolen or fallen off, or whether Mr Bush had taken it off as a precautionary measure before mingling with the crowds in the farming village of Fushe Kruje, north of the capital, Tirana.
Local media reported it as having been stolen, but embassy officials denied the claim. "What the local media is saying is absolutely not true," an unnamed US embassy official said.
A White House spokesman, Tony Snow, insisted that Mr Bush had put the watch into his pocket for safe keeping. "The President put it in his pocket and it returned safely home", he said.
An Albanian bodyguard accompanying Mr Bush said he had seen one of his American colleagues, standing near to Mr Bush, bend down and pick up the watch.
The television channel Top Channel meanwhile showed how one of the President's bodyguards may have talked to him, before taking the watch from his hand.
Among the Albanian honorifics, three stamps bearing Mr Bush's image were also issued, along with one of New York's Statue of Liberty.
The President's visit was part of tour of Europe which took in a total of six countries, and was considered among his most successful.
Mystery over Bush's watch
Reports that US President George Bush had his wristwatch stolen while shaking hands with Albanians on his weekend visit are false, Albanian police and the US embassy said on Tuesday.
"The story is untrue and the President did not lose his watch," a spokesman for the embassy in Tirana said.
Some newspapers, television stations and websites carried reports that Mr Bush's watch vanished on Sunday when he was greeted by ecstatic crowds in Fushe Kruje, outside the capital Tirana.
"It is not true," said Albania's police director, Ahmet Prenci.
Photographs showed Mr Bush, surrounded by five bodyguards, putting his hands behind his back so one of the bodyguards could remove his watch.
Stolen? Lost? Put away? Speculation runs rampant
WASHINGTON - When President George W. Bush began shaking hands with enthusiastic well-wishers in Albania he was wearing a watch. When he stopped a few minutes and dozens of hearty welcomes later, he was not.
What happened to the watch became the subject of intense international speculation yesterday.
The Albanian media and websites, which carried video of the event in Fushe Kruje, about 24 kilometres north of Tirana on Sunday, speculated that the best-protected man in the world had been fleeced. Pictures show the president starting his walk along the crowd with the watch on his left wrist. In the next, a firm hand covers his arm, and in the last, his wrist is bare.
Albania's police chief, perhaps sensitive to his compatriots' reputation for petty crime, moaned: "This is not true."
"The president put it in his pocket and it returned safely home," White House spokesman Tony Snow said.
However, none of the footage shows the president removing his watch.
An Albanian bodyguard who accompanied Mr. Bush said he had seen one of his U.S. colleagues from the Secret Service bend down and pick up the watch. Neither explanation is likely to silence the conjecture.
If lost, the watch will not be hard to replace -- it was a $50 Timex. It will be easy to trace however; it is inscribed "George W Bush, President, January 20, 2001."
Several Albanian thieves in the crowd grabbed the president's wrist before the watch disappeared.
What happened to the watch became the subject of intense international speculation yesterday.
The Albanian media and websites, which carried video of the event in Fushe Kruje, about 24 kilometres north of Tirana on Sunday, speculated that the best-protected man in the world had been fleeced. Pictures show the president starting his walk along the crowd with the watch on his left wrist. In the next, a firm hand covers his arm, and in the last, his wrist is bare.
Albania's police chief, perhaps sensitive to his compatriots' reputation for petty crime, moaned: "This is not true."
"The president put it in his pocket and it returned safely home," White House spokesman Tony Snow said.
However, none of the footage shows the president removing his watch.
An Albanian bodyguard who accompanied Mr. Bush said he had seen one of his U.S. colleagues from the Secret Service bend down and pick up the watch. Neither explanation is likely to silence the conjecture.
If lost, the watch will not be hard to replace -- it was a $50 Timex. It will be easy to trace however; it is inscribed "George W Bush, President, January 20, 2001."
Several Albanian thieves in the crowd grabbed the president's wrist before the watch disappeared.
Did Bush have watch stolen?
GLAD-handing US President George W.Bush may have given adoring Albanians more than his affection with news footage and photographs showing him apparently having his watch stolen off his wrist in front of a throng of secret service agents.
Mr Bush was being mobbed by a euphoric crowd in the town of Fushe Krujein, near the capital Tirana when the handsome watch with a dark strap disappeared.
Some media outlets and a video showed images suggesting Mr Bush's watch vanished while he shook hands with enthusiastic Albanians during a weekend stop there.
But the White House today flatly denied Mr Bush and his minders were outwitted by a common thief and said the watch was not stolen.
"No, it was not. It was placed in his pocket," White House spokesman Tony Snow said.
"The President put it in his pocket and it returned safely home."
Albanian police and the US embassy in Tirana also denied the reports.
"The story is untrue and the President did not lose his watch," an embasssy spokesman said.
"It is not true," said Albania's police director Ahmet Prenci.
One version of events was that Mr Bush, surrounded by five bodyguards, put his hands behind his back so one of the bodyguards could remove his watch.
Another was from an Albanian bodyguard who accompanied Mr Bush in the town.
He told the Associated Press he had seen one of his US colleagues close to Mr Bush bend down and pick up the watch from the ground after it slipped off his wrist.
The US embassy said the security agent then passed the watch to First Lady Laura Bush.
People waiting on the pavements gave Mr Bush a rapturous welcome, shaking hands with him, grabbing him by the arms and wrists, reaching out to embrace him and even ruffling his hair.
Mr Bush was clearly delighted by the attention and plunged back into the crowd for more hand-shaking and to be kissed on the cheek.
Mr Bush's visit to the tiny Balkan country, the first ever by a US president, was considered historic.
To mark the occasion Albania issued three postage stamps with images of Mr Bush and the Statue of Liberty, renamed a street after him, awarded him the nation's highest medal and Fushe Kruje declared him an honoured citizen.
Bush's watch stolen in Albania
It appears that U.S. President George Bush had his watch stolen while greeting onlookers in Albania. His White House staff denied that someone nicked it, but the picture here shows his watch disappearing when the shot before it he had it on and the picture afterwards shows the watch is missing.
President Bush's Secret Service staff say he put the watch in his pocket before greeting the well wishers in the tiny farming community of Fushe Kruja outside the Albania Capitol city of Tirana - that no one stole the President's watch.
While Bush received a heroes welcome in Albania someone there got his hands on the American President's watch and while it may have come off by accident, who ever got Bush's timepiece probably has a historical object with, well, timeless value, if you'll pardon the pun.
President Bush's Secret Service staff say he put the watch in his pocket before greeting the well wishers in the tiny farming community of Fushe Kruja outside the Albania Capitol city of Tirana - that no one stole the President's watch.
While Bush received a heroes welcome in Albania someone there got his hands on the American President's watch and while it may have come off by accident, who ever got Bush's timepiece probably has a historical object with, well, timeless value, if you'll pardon the pun.
Bush's watch stolen!
President George Bush may have received a hero's welcome during his visit to Albania, but he may also have been a victim of crime.
It seems as though President Bush might have had his watch stolen from right under the noses of his security team.
Mr Bush was visiting Fushe Kruja, a small farming village outside of the capital Tirana. After having a cup of coffee in the local cafe he reached out to greet the crowd.
He posed for photos and signed autographs while admirers shouting his name mobbed him and even ruffled his hair.
On a hot day Mr Bush had taken his jacket off and was wearing a short sleeved shirt. At one moment his watch is clearly visible, but as the crowd presses round him the watch seems to suddenly disappear.
He posed for photos and signed autographs while admirers shouting his name mobbed him and even ruffled his hair
It seems as though President Bush might have had his watch stolen from right under the noses of his security team.
Mr Bush was visiting Fushe Kruja, a small farming village outside of the capital Tirana. After having a cup of coffee in the local cafe he reached out to greet the crowd.
He posed for photos and signed autographs while admirers shouting his name mobbed him and even ruffled his hair.
On a hot day Mr Bush had taken his jacket off and was wearing a short sleeved shirt. At one moment his watch is clearly visible, but as the crowd presses round him the watch seems to suddenly disappear.
He posed for photos and signed autographs while admirers shouting his name mobbed him and even ruffled his hair
Bush’s Watch Theft: Debunked
UPDATED, 8:58 PM ETA theory that emerged in an Italian newspaper and gained prominence on a Balkans newscast posted to YouTube has now been debunked by two mainstream news organizations.
ABC News and Reuters used their video editing skills to slow down and highlight a key point of a video that showed the president wearing his watch, and then without it seconds later. The obvious, and wrong, conclusion was that one of his ecstatic fans in Albania must have swiped it. In fact, it was simply the president’s swift, backwards handoff of the watch to a guard right behind him.
Like all videos that disagree with the official government line, this one almost definitely suggested that emphatic White House denials are not the whole truth. (A series of grainy photographs added to the case). Here’s what the official line said, as reported by Britain’s Guardian:
A White House spokeswoman denied today that that the President had been robbed. She also denied other Albanian reports that Mr Bush’s watch did fall off during the vigorous walkabout but that it was returned to a bodyguard. Instead the spokeswoman said that Mr Bush had removed it himself. “He took it off,” she said.
When challenged that this did not seem to happen during the footage shown on YouTube, the spokeswoman said: “I’m not going to change what I’m saying. I was told that he took it off about the one-minute mark.”
Earlier, The Lede focused on the open watch question with an item headlined “Did Bush Get His Watch Stolen?” This is the update, which included the following video that left everyone guessing.
ABC News and Reuters used their video editing skills to slow down and highlight a key point of a video that showed the president wearing his watch, and then without it seconds later. The obvious, and wrong, conclusion was that one of his ecstatic fans in Albania must have swiped it. In fact, it was simply the president’s swift, backwards handoff of the watch to a guard right behind him.
Like all videos that disagree with the official government line, this one almost definitely suggested that emphatic White House denials are not the whole truth. (A series of grainy photographs added to the case). Here’s what the official line said, as reported by Britain’s Guardian:
A White House spokeswoman denied today that that the President had been robbed. She also denied other Albanian reports that Mr Bush’s watch did fall off during the vigorous walkabout but that it was returned to a bodyguard. Instead the spokeswoman said that Mr Bush had removed it himself. “He took it off,” she said.
When challenged that this did not seem to happen during the footage shown on YouTube, the spokeswoman said: “I’m not going to change what I’m saying. I was told that he took it off about the one-minute mark.”
Earlier, The Lede focused on the open watch question with an item headlined “Did Bush Get His Watch Stolen?” This is the update, which included the following video that left everyone guessing.
Theft mystery over George Bush's vanishing timepiece
If you want to know the time, don't ask George Bush - because the President's watch is missing.
It seemed to disappear while Mr Bush was glad-handing cheering crowds in Albania.
And it's now being claimed that the expensive timepiece had been artfully removed from his left wrist by a crafty thief.
Footage being shown on YouTube and press photographs certainly seemed to support the idea that a pickpocket had been a work.
As these photos show, the black leather strap of the watch was clearly visible when he waved to the crowds in the village of Fushe Kruje on Sunday with his wife Laura at his side during his visit to Albania.
But as the shirt-sleeved President plunges into the crowd a hand appears to cover the watch.
And then it's gone - all that's left is the thin tanline marking where the watch had been.
The White House have denied that the watch has been stolen, as did an official at the U.S. embassy in Albania.
There was a suggestion that it had simply slipped off the President's wrist in the melee. An Albanian bodyguard claimed he had seen one of his U.S. colleagues pick it up.
Bush loses track of timepiece
"Street crime is fairly common ... Criminals do not deliberately target US citizens or other foreigners, but seek targets of opportunity and select those who appear to have anything of value. Pick-pocketing is widespread." The US state department's advice for travellers to Albania is presumably not intended for the leader of the free world being escorted by a phalanx of bodyguards.
But yesterday, it appeared that what was meant to be the crowning moment of George Bush's trip to Europe for the G8 summit - a chance to meet and greet, to glad-hand the crowd in a rare sympathetic corner of Europe - had been spoiled by an ordinary thief.
As the villagers of Fushe Kruja, 20 miles from Albania's capital, Tirana, crowded the president on Sunday, applauding and chanting "Booshie, Booshie", a video appears to show someone in the crowd taking advantage of the melee to take a very personal souvenir: the president's watch.
Video of the beginning of the president's three-minute walkabout shows him in shirt sleeves with a watch on his left wrist. As he works the barrier, leaning over to greet well-wishers, hands repeatedly clasp his wrists and shake his hand. Midway through the unexpectedly warm encounter Bush's wrist is bare: his $50 Timex bearing the Stars and Stripes on its face is missing.
But yesterday, it appeared that what was meant to be the crowning moment of George Bush's trip to Europe for the G8 summit - a chance to meet and greet, to glad-hand the crowd in a rare sympathetic corner of Europe - had been spoiled by an ordinary thief.
As the villagers of Fushe Kruja, 20 miles from Albania's capital, Tirana, crowded the president on Sunday, applauding and chanting "Booshie, Booshie", a video appears to show someone in the crowd taking advantage of the melee to take a very personal souvenir: the president's watch.
Video of the beginning of the president's three-minute walkabout shows him in shirt sleeves with a watch on his left wrist. As he works the barrier, leaning over to greet well-wishers, hands repeatedly clasp his wrists and shake his hand. Midway through the unexpectedly warm encounter Bush's wrist is bare: his $50 Timex bearing the Stars and Stripes on its face is missing.
Video proof: Bush stole his own watch
There's an old journalistic adage: if a story sounds too good to be true, then it probably isn't.
Now, thanks to the the US television network NBC and its "crack team at the White House", one of this week's greatest mysteries - did President Bush really have his watch stolen during a walkabout in Albania? - appears to have been solved.
He did not. As the White House insisted all along, he took it off his wrist and put it safely in his pocket.
Hundreds of thousands of people yesterday watched a YouTube video from an Albanian TV station in which it appears that the presidential watch, a $50 Timex inscribed "George W Bush President January 20,2001", is lifted from the presidential wrist during a chaotic walkabout in the town of Fushë Krujë.
The moral of the story was clear: even the world's most powerful man needs to keep an eye on his belongings.
Bush watch stolen in Albania?
US officials have emphatically denied that President George Bush’s watch was stolen as he shook hands with enthusiastic Albanians.
One moment President Bush was glad-handing Albanians on Sunday, proudly sporting a watch with a dark strap on his left wrist. Moments later, it was gone.
Did it fall off? Did one of his bodyguards remove it? Or did one of the crowd artfully slip it off his wrist and pocket it?
The United States Embassy in Albania emphatically denied that Mr Bush’s watch was stolen during his visit to the country, where he was acclaimed as a hero.
The Albanian media – and international websites – is buzzing with video showing Bush’s wrist watch apparently disappearing while he was shaking hands with people in Fushe Kruje, 15 miles north of Tirana.
“What the local media is saying is absolutely not true,” said an embassy official, who declined to be named.
People waiting on the pavements on Sunday gave Mr Bush a rapturous welcome, shaking hands with him, grabbing him by the arms and wrists, reaching out to embrace him and even ruffling his hair.
Mr Bush was clearly delighted by the attention and plunged back into the crowd for more hand shaking and to be kissed on the cheek.
However, White House spokesman Tony Snow said Mr Bush’s watch was not stolen by someone in the crowd. “The president put it in his pocket and it returned safely home,” Mr Snow said in Washington.
An Albanian bodyguard who accompanied Mr Bush in the town told The Associated Press he had seen one of his US colleagues close to Bush bend down and pick up the watch.
The Top Channel private TV station showed how one of his bodyguards may have talked to the president and then taken the watch from his hand.
Mr Bush’s visit to the tiny Balkan country, the first ever by a US president, was considered as historic.
Albania issued three postage stamps with Mr Bush’s picture and the Statue of Liberty, renamed a street in front of parliament in his honour, awarded him the highest National Flag medal and Fushe Kruje town council also declared him an honoured citizen.
One moment President Bush was glad-handing Albanians on Sunday, proudly sporting a watch with a dark strap on his left wrist. Moments later, it was gone.
Did it fall off? Did one of his bodyguards remove it? Or did one of the crowd artfully slip it off his wrist and pocket it?
The United States Embassy in Albania emphatically denied that Mr Bush’s watch was stolen during his visit to the country, where he was acclaimed as a hero.
The Albanian media – and international websites – is buzzing with video showing Bush’s wrist watch apparently disappearing while he was shaking hands with people in Fushe Kruje, 15 miles north of Tirana.
“What the local media is saying is absolutely not true,” said an embassy official, who declined to be named.
People waiting on the pavements on Sunday gave Mr Bush a rapturous welcome, shaking hands with him, grabbing him by the arms and wrists, reaching out to embrace him and even ruffling his hair.
Mr Bush was clearly delighted by the attention and plunged back into the crowd for more hand shaking and to be kissed on the cheek.
However, White House spokesman Tony Snow said Mr Bush’s watch was not stolen by someone in the crowd. “The president put it in his pocket and it returned safely home,” Mr Snow said in Washington.
An Albanian bodyguard who accompanied Mr Bush in the town told The Associated Press he had seen one of his US colleagues close to Bush bend down and pick up the watch.
The Top Channel private TV station showed how one of his bodyguards may have talked to the president and then taken the watch from his hand.
Mr Bush’s visit to the tiny Balkan country, the first ever by a US president, was considered as historic.
Albania issued three postage stamps with Mr Bush’s picture and the Statue of Liberty, renamed a street in front of parliament in his honour, awarded him the highest National Flag medal and Fushe Kruje town council also declared him an honoured citizen.
President’s disappearing watch
When George W Bush began shaking hands with enthusiastic well-wishers in Albania he was wearing a watch. When he stopped a few minutes and dozens of hearty welcomes later, he was not.
What happened to the watch became the subject of intense international speculation yesterday.
The Albanian media and websites, which carried video of the event in Fushe Kruje, 15 miles north of Tirana on Sunday, speculated that the best-protected man in the world had been fleeced.
Pictures show the president starting his walk along the crowd with the watch on his left wrist. In the next, a firm hand covers the relevant part of his arm, and in the last his wrist is bare and Mr Bush is gazing down as if searching for something.
Albania's police chief, perhaps sensitive to his compatriots' reputation for crime, moaned: "This is not true."
A White House spokesman explained: "The president put it in his pocket and it returned safely home." However, none of the footage shows the president removing his watch.
An Albanian bodyguard who accompanied Mr Bush said he had seen one of his US colleagues from the Secret Service bend down and pick up the watch. Neither explanation is likely to silence the conjecture.
If lost, the watch will not be hard to replace - it was a £25 Timex. It will be easy to trace however. It is inscribed "George W Bush, President, January 20, 2001".
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