ReportB2B Invest6 October 2026In Romanian
The watch for Pope Francis: the Romanian Government's state gift of 31 May 2019
The watch given to Pope Francis at Cotroceni on 31 May 2019, as a state gift from the Romanian Government, and how its dial was made.
An article from October 2026 on the official gift presented to Pope Francis at Cotroceni Palace, on the first day of his apostolic visit to Romania, by the prime minister of the day, Viorica Dăncilă: a watch made for the occasion by Augustin Matei, commissioned by the Romanian Government.
B2B Invest describes the silver dial: Saint Francis of Assisi, after a fresco by Giotto, with rhodochrosite from Argentina, the country the Pope was born in, volcanic rock from Etna and a fragment of Romanian earth; on the rotor, a stone tied to the blue of Voroneț. “Four distinct elements,” as Augustin described the piece to Știrile ProTV in September 2019.
The article notes that the gift came from the Government, not the Vatican, and that the handover was reported the same day by Digi24, Adevărul and other newsrooms.
The full articleon b2b-invest.ro (opens in a new tab)The summary is written by the workshop. The article, its headline and its photographs belong to the publication.