42 TIMES OVER: "I never thought I'd be standing here," remarked former president Bill Clinton at the start of his speech Wednesday afternoon at a press conference for Audemars Piguet and the Clinton Foundation. "When I was elected, I was the lowest net worth president in history....Now I own three of these watches." (Must be all those expensive speeches and good investments he's made since then.) The 132-year-old Swiss watch brand, which is focused on helping the environment by reforestation and other means through its Audemars Piguet Foundation, has donated $3 million to the Clinton Foundation and also launched a timepiece — dubbed the Clinton Foundation Equation of Time. In honor of the 42nd president, the brand has created a limited edition of 42 watches, each in white gold for $100,100, rose gold for $98,800 and a $137,300 platinum model that even comes with a scale model replica of the White House (no, you can't see what's going on in the Oval Office). Christie's auctioned the first platinum model for the Clinton Foundation directly after the press conference for $200,000. The buyer is a top Piguet client — and presumably a Democrat, or at least a wily investor.

IF YOU'RE THE GROOM, DON'T READ THIS: When Gillian Hearst-Shaw walks down the aisle at the Pierre on Saturday to marry lawyer Christian Simonds, she will don a duchesse satin Badgley Mischka ballgown with a silk tulle veil trailing long behind her. "It has a 1940s, slightly vintage-y glamour to it," said Mark Badgley, during the final fitting. Hearst-Shaw, daughter of Patty Hearst, first perused the designers' wedding selection at their bridal fashion show. The dress she will wear Saturday is a customized version of one of the gowns that went down the runway. Its bodice is embroidered with Swarovski crystals and cut glass, to match the border of Hearst-Shaw's veil.

Serving as bridesmaids will be her sister, Lydia, and cousins, Amanda Hearst and Angelina Carmagnani, also dressed by Badgley Mischka. Their gowns are diaphanous sage green dresses in satin and georgette silk with ruched bodices.

SHE MADE IT: A torrential downpour could not keep Eva Mendes home on Tuesday evening. The starlet, who acts opposite Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg in "We Own the Night," proved the last co-star standing at the premiere's after party at the Bowery Hotel (hosted by Calvin Klein and the Cinema Society). Though her fellow thespians may have called it an early night, the actress stayed to chat about her on-set experience. "I learned to play with the big boys," Mendes said of her stunts in the action flick. And, while the star seemed sure of her combat skills, other stars in attendance did not: Janet Jackson, Jermaine Dupri and Rihanna held court amid a cavalcade of bodyguards.