Mexico's Lopez Obrador raffles his watch in colorful final press conference

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – In his last morning press conference as Mexican president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador raffled off his watch on Monday to attending journalists in the kind of popular stunt that came to define his presidency.

Lopez Obrador’s successor and protege Claudia Sheinbaum, who will be sworn into office on Tuesday, has promised to continue the now iconic daily press conference known as the mananera despite having a very different, more rehearsed style.

“We are not going to have time for questions and answers.. But we are going to have time for what I offered you.. because we are going to raffle the watch,” Lopez Obrador said as he removed the timepiece which he has said is worth between 2,000 and 2,500 pesos (about $100 to $125). Local media reported the brand as Momentum.

Spotting what presidents and ministers are wearing on their wrists is a longtime political sport in Latin America, with several leaders getting into hot water for flaunting expensive time pieces that appear out of touch with their political ideals.

For example, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte faced calls to step down amid questions about the provenance of her collection of Rolex watches earlier this year while Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has also been criticized for allegedly owning luxury watches.

Cuba’s Fidel Castro famously wore two Rolex watches on the same wrist, one – legend has it – was set to local time and the other to Moscow.

Lopez Obrador himself, as mayor of Mexico City in 2005, was slammed by reporters for wearing a pricey Tiffany timepiece.

But since winning the presidency in 2018 he has been careful to maintain an image consistent with his Morena party, which appeals to Mexico’s poorest and vows to end corruption among the political elite.

For the raffle, aides brought out a table and Lopez Obrador selected a journalist to draw a name at random from a bingo-style raffle drum.

A reporter from local video outlet Sin Puntos Ni Comas was selected as the winner, joining Lopez Obrador on stage and warmly embracing him before posing for photos with the watch.

The mananera closed with the premiere of a music video paying tribute to the president, featuring his wife, as well as live music and a traditional dance performance, as an emotional Lopez Obrador was joined on stage by cabinet members.

($1 = 19.6990 Mexican pesos)

(Reporting by Cassandra Garrison; editing by Stephen Eisenhammer)