Vintage Muammar Gaddafi Portrait Dial Watch Libya Quartz Gold Tone Ladies 26mm

About this watch

Across the Middle East and North Africa, from the 1970s to the 1990s, governments ordered wristwatches bearing the portrait of the head of state. They were not retail products: they were made in small batches and handed out as official gifts to officers, civil servants, delegations and guests of the state. In Libya such watches carried the portrait of Muammar Gaddafi, who ruled the country from 1969 to 2011, and today they are collected as historical memorabilia alongside coins, medals and banknotes of the period.

This ladies example has a colour portrait of Gaddafi in a white peaked cap and dark uniform, printed on a gold-tone dial with four small gold dot markers and slim gold hands. The cushion-shaped case is two-tone, with a gold-tone bezel on an aged silver-tone case, and the watch runs on a quartz movement. It is fitted with a grey suede-style leather strap with contrast stitching. Ladies versions are seen far less often than the men's models.

Brand heritage

Portrait watches of this kind were commissioned by governments rather than sold by a watch brand, and this example carries no maker's name on the dial. Their value lies in their history: they are tangible relics of state gift-giving in Libya during the Gaddafi era, offered here as a historical collectible.

Why this one is special

• Scarce ladies size of the Libyan Gaddafi portrait watch
• Clear colour portrait on a warm gold-tone dial
• Two-tone cushion case typical of the period
• A genuine piece of North African political memorabilia

Specifications

• Type: Libyan presentation watch with Muammar Gaddafi portrait dial
• Era: circa 1990s
• Movement: quartz
• Case: two-tone (silver and gold tone) cushion shape, approx. 26mm, snap caseback
• Dial: gold-tone with colour portrait, gold dot markers
• Strap: grey leather two-piece strap, 16mm
• Size: ladies

Condition

Pre-owned vintage watch in good condition for its age, with signs of wear to the case and strap as shown in the photos. Please study all photos carefully; they are of the actual watch you will receive and form part of the description. Water resistance is not guaranteed on a vintage watch.
Working at time of listing.

What's included

The watch on a grey leather strap.

Shipping & Returns

Ships from Cairo, Egypt. Please see the shipping and returns details in this listing.