Stumped by plea, Putin gives away ₤5k watch

LONDON: A bemused Vladimir Putin reportedly had nothing to part with, but his ��5,500 Swiss watch to a factory worker in a Russian town, particularly when ordinary people in the socialist nation were facing a tough time.
The Russian PM handed over the watch made by Swiss company Blancpain, the cost of which is what an average Russian earns in a year, after the factory worker put him in a spot following a speech on Tula town���s economy.
���Vladimir Vladimirovich, may be you���ll give me something to remember you by?��� Viktor Zagaevsky asked after he finished his speech, to which Putin gestured that he���d nothing to give before jokingly asking what the worker wanted.
���May be your watch,��� the worker shot back. After a short pause, Putin handed over the watch. Those present there said the request stunned Putin but that he could not refuse in the circumstances, the report said.
Putin���s love of Swiss watches matches his macho action man image that goes down so well with Russian voters.