Latest news with #TimPetit
Fast Company
22-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
This misspelled $600 Trump watch is perfectly on-brand
Brand licensing deals can be an easy way to make a quick buck, but it's not without risks. A man who splurged for one of President Donald Trump's officially licensed watches learned that lesson the hard way after the timepiece arrived with an unfortunate typo. The $640 limited-edition 'Inauguration First Lady' watch the Rhode Island man bought read 'Rump' instead of 'Trump' across its pink face. 'We expected that it would have the integrity of the president of the United States,' Tim Petit, who bought the watch for his wife, told the local news station WJAR. He said it made his wife cry. Perhaps expecting integrity from a product that trades on the name and likeness of the first felon president in U.S. history, a man whose second term in office has become a historic tangle of conflicts of interest, is asking for too much. But it's also a pitfall that all brands face when they outsource their products. Licensing your brand can increase brand recognition and profits without cost risks, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, but without specific, enforced licensing requirements, you risk losing out on quality control. Not that the Trump brand is particularly airtight. Trump has long made money from licensing deals, with resulting products such as Trump: The Game, Trump Water, and Trump Steaks. In between terms, Trump cashed in on new product releases like Trump Sneakers and 'God Bless the USA' Bibles, all using LLCs that licensed his name and likeness to manufacture and market Trump-themed kitsch to his political supporters. Trump Watches aren't sold directly by Trump, his business, or an aligned political entity, but by TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC, a manufacturer with a business address at a nondescript Wyoming building, which is also home to a daycare center. With Trump back in office, Trump Watches and other licensed storefronts represent something unprecedented: a president personally profiting off of merch sales, a category that until now has been relegated to campaign fundraising. And in a shocking but not surprising twist for the president who's made domestic manufacturing central to his political agenda, the watches make no claim to be made in the United States (GQ actually sourced them to China). Luckily for the Rhode Island couple with the misspelled watch, the story has a happy ending. Though Trump Watches has a strict policy of no refunds or exchanges and states on its website that 'images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the product,' the company made an exception for the 'Rump' watch, though only after the media got involved. Petit said he didn't hear back from the company until after WJAR reached out for comment, and then he got a call from Trump Watches offering to replace the watch and gift him an $800 coupon. Sometimes all it takes is a free press.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pricey Trump-Edition Watch Ruined by Hilarious Spelling Flub
A Rhode Island MAGA fan was left feeling cheated after his pricey Trump-edition watch arrived with a fatal flaw. Tim Petit said he shelled out $640 to buy his wife a pink 'limited edition' timepiece from Yet upon closer inspection, the watch he received read 'RUMP' on its face, NBC 10 News reported. Petit said hearing an ad on the radio convinced him to check out the timepieces. 'With the president's voice hawking the watches. I was curious, so I went on to the website,' he said. 'I just thought it was really nice. It was beautiful. And I knew it would be something that she'd like.' The watch was promoted as 'one of 250' made, 'So that attracted me,' Petit said. Despite liking the style of the watch, Petit's wife Melanie said she noticed the misspelling right away. 'The T is missing. It just says R-U-M-P,' she said. 'How could they process this and go through something without checking their work?' Ultimately, Petit said he is 'very disappointed.' 'I wanted to do a special thing for her,' he said. 'And we expected that it would have the integrity of the President of the United States and good follow-through.' says it has a license to use Trump's name, and likeness and promotes its products as 'official.' The site adds that the watches are 'not political' and 'are not designed, manufactured, distributed or sold by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of their respective affiliates or principals.' Petit added, 'I think that someone needs to be aware of it in their licensing department, that someone's dropped the ball big time.' The Daily Beast has reached out to Trump Watches for comment.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A Shocking Typo On Trump Watch Ticks Off 'Disappointed' Customers
A Rhode Island couple sounded the alarm this week on a Trump wristwatch they purchased that read 'RUMP' instead. (Watch the video below.) 'We expected that it would have the integrity of the president of the United States and good follow-through,' a 'disappointed' Tim Petit told NBC affiliate WJAR. Petit bought the 'limited edition' pink 'Inauguration First Lady' model from for about $600 for his wife, Melanie Petit. 'Buy it for yourself or for the Trump Woman in your life,' the promo copy says. But the mistake on the logo spoiled the gift for this Trump woman. 'How could they process this and go through something without checking their work?' Melanie said. Tim lashed out at Trump Watches 'for making my wife cry' and got an apology and an $800 coupon after the TV station asked for comment, WJAR reported. A red-faced 'Fight Fight Fight' model, presumably named for Trump's yell after a would-be assassin bloodied his ear with a bullet in July, is also available. Trump got clocked for hawking $100,000 watches on the same site in September ― one of several merchandising ventures that have raised eyebrows. He did video advertising for Trump Watches as part of a licensing deal ― but the company clarifies in fine print that Trump and the Trump Organization do not make or distribute the timepieces. Hillary Clinton Bludgeons Trump With Pure Truth About Qatar Jet Gift Trump's Latest Merch Doesn't Look Good For Future Of Democracy Jimmy Fallon Clocks Trump Below The Belt Over Watch Collection Merch
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Wife sobs after spotting comical flaw in $640 pink Trump watch that husband bought for her
A Rhode Island woman cried after realizing the pricey Trump watch her husband gifted her had a major flaw. Tim Petit thought one of Donald Trump 's watches would be the perfect gift for his wife, Melanie, after hearing an ad for the president's So, he decided to splurge and spend $640 on the limited-edition First Lady in Pink watch - a pink timepiece with 'Trump' and his signature printed on its face. When the highly-anticipated piece of jewelry finally arrived and Melanie first laid eyes on it, she broke down in tears - but not for the right reasons. To her and Tim's horror, the 'T' in 'Trump' was missing, with the unfortunate typo leaving the word 'Rump' across the top of the watch. 'I noticed it right away. The T is missing. It just says R-U-M-P,' Melanie told NBC News 10. 'How could they process this and go through something without checking their work?' Melanie and Tim said they were drawn to the watch for its luxurious features, but this spelling-error debacle has put a bad taste in their mouths. 'I just thought it was really nice. It was beautiful. And I knew it would be something that she'd like,' Tim told the outlet. Only 250 first lady-inspired watches were manufactured. Its rarity added to the appeal, he explained. Tim was especially shocked at the lack of Trump watch quality control, given this is an item backed by the president himself. 'I'm very disappointed. I wanted to do a special thing for her,' he confessed. 'And we expected that it would have the integrity of the President of the United States and good follow-through.' At first, the shell-shocked couple was frustrated with the company's lack of response to their complaints. Tim said the brand should address dire error, especially if people are paying hundreds of dollars. 'I think that someone needs to be aware of it in their licensing department, that someone's dropped the ball big time,' Tim said. Melanie reiterated that they were being hit with radio silence, and all they wanted was the issue put behind them. 'And an apology would be nice for making my wife cry,' Tim added. Eventually, responded to Tim and Melanie, saying they would replace the watch immediately. The company also apologized and offered an $800 coupon to buy another wristwatch. has reached out to for comment. Trump unveiled his line of branded watches in in September 2024, saying 'I'm doing quite a number with watches, and the quality to me is very important,' in his Truth Social announcement at the time. According to the website, despite his name and signature appearing on the pieces sold, they 'are not designed, manufactured, distributed or sold by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of their respective affiliates or principals.' Models range from $499 to a staggering $100,000 for the Trump Victory Tourbillon watch, which has 200 grams of gold and 'more than 100 real diamonds.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A Shocking Typo On Trump Watch Ticks Off 'Disappointed' Customers
A Rhode Island couple sounded the alarm this week on a Trump wristwatch they purchased that read 'RUMP' instead. (Watch the video below.) 'We expected that it would have the integrity of the president of the United States and good follow-through,' a 'disappointed' Tim Petit told NBC affiliate WJAR. Petit bought the 'limited edition' pink 'Inauguration First Lady' model from for about $600 for his wife, Melanie Petit. 'Buy it for yourself or for the Trump Woman in your life,' the promo copy says. But the mistake on the logo spoiled the gift for this Trump woman. 'How could they process this and go through something without checking their work?' Melanie said. Tim lashed out at Trump Watches 'for making my wife cry' and got an apology and an $800 coupon after the TV staton asked for comment, WJAR reported. A red-faced 'Fight Fight Fight' model, presumably named for Trump's yell after a would-be assassin bloodied his ear with a bullet in July, is also available. Trump got clocked for hawking $100,000 watches on the same site in September ― one of several merchandising ventures that have raised eyebrows. He did video advertising for Trump Watches as part of a licensing deal ― but the company clarifies in fine print that Trump and the Trump Organization do not make or distribute the timepieces. Hillary Clinton Bludgeons Trump With Pure Truth About Qatar Jet Gift Trump's Latest Merch Doesn't Look Good For Future Of Democracy Jimmy Fallon Clocks Trump Below The Belt Over Watch Collection Merch
