Spotlight On: The Kennedy Watches. The timepieces of John and Jackie.
The Kennedys were considered at some point to be America’s Royal Family. They were
beloved and so admired, not just for their stature and remarkable achievements, but also
for the effortlessly sophisticated way they carried themselves. Here are the timepieces
they wore.
First up is Jackie’s Cartier Tank. Look closely at any photo of hers, and you’ll
notice one other consistency aside from her classic style: on her wrist is a Cartier Tank,
given by her brother in law in 1963.
On the caseback, It was accompanied by the dedication “Jackie from Stas, with love
and admiration.” The watch was a classic, yellow gold Tank on an alligator strap which
she wore with casual ensembles.
In 2017, it was auctioned off by Christie’s and sold to an anonymous bidder for $395,000.
Here’s a historical timepiece owned JFK. The Omega Ultra Thin given to him in 1960
by then Florida senator Grant Stockdale.
On its caseback was the dedication “President of the United States John F. Kennedy from
his friend Grant.” Interestingly, Stockdale gave the watch to JFK months before his win
in November.
JFK eventually wore it when he took the oath of office on January 20, 1961. The watch is
now in the Omega Museum in Bienne, Switzerland.
JFK also had a Bulova watch, which may not have been as popular, but was the first watch
he was photographed with. It was reportedly given by a female admirer in Washington DC.
The Art Deco style gold Bulova had a stretch gold link bracelet with a plate at the bottom
engraved “JFK 1941”, which was the year Kennedy joined United States Naval Reserve.
John and Jackie both had classic taste in watches, and he, too owned a Cartier Tank.
It was given by Jackie on their fourth wedding anniversary in 1963.
Inscribed on the back of the 18k gold watch were his initials, the Kennedy family arms,
and the couple’s wedding date.
It is also said to be the watch that he wore on his wrist the day he was assassinated in 1963.
Jackie later gave it to his former secretary after his death.
Finally, we have JFK’s most controversial watch, which interestingly, he did not even
wear. He had a solid gold Rolex President Day-Date given by Marilyn Monroe on his birthday
in 1962.
The Rolex is engraved “Jack With Love As Always From Marilyn, May 29th, 1962.”
Marilyn had given the watch to Kennedy’s aide Kenneth O’Donnell so he can pass it
on to JFK. O'Donnell was simply told to “get rid of it”, or so, the story goes.
Decades after their death, John and Jackie’s sartorial legacy and taste live on, so much
so that they still serve as the benchmark for sophistication. Surely, a watch that has
been worn by a Kennedy would be deemed iconic.