MEXICO CITY — In his final morning press conference as Mexico's president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador held a watch raffle on Monday (Sept 30) for the attending journalists, a signature gesture that defined his presidency.

Lopez Obrador's successor, Claudia Sheinbaum, who will take office on Tuesday, has pledged to maintain the daily press conferences, known as the "mananera," though her approach is expected to be more scripted.

"We won’t have time for questions and answers... But we will have time for what I promised you... because we're raffling the watch," Lopez Obrador said, taking off the timepiece, which he estimated to be worth between 2,000 and 2,500 pesos (S$130 to S$163). Local reports identified the brand as Momentum.

In Latin America, observing the watches of presidents and ministers has long been a political pastime, with some leaders drawing criticism for displaying expensive watches that seem out of step with their political principles.

For instance, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte faced resignation calls earlier this year over her Rolex collection, while Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has also been scrutinized for allegedly owning high-end watches.

Cuba's Fidel Castro famously wore two Rolex watches simultaneously, with one rumored to be set to local time and the other to Moscow time.

In 2005, Lopez Obrador himself, as mayor of Mexico City, was criticized for wearing a costly Tiffany watch. However, since becoming president in 2018, he has worked to align his image with his Morena party's message, appealing to Mexico's poor and vowing to fight corruption.

During the raffle, aides brought out a table, and Lopez Obrador picked a journalist to randomly select a name from a raffle drum. A reporter from the local outlet Sin Puntos Ni Comas won, embracing Lopez Obrador on stage and posing for photos with the watch.

The press conference concluded with the debut of a music video honoring Lopez Obrador, featuring his wife, live music, and a traditional dance performance. A visibly emotional Lopez Obrador was joined on stage by members of his cabinet.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters