Jackie Kennedy’s Cartier Watch Is For Sale
The personalized timepiece also comes with a painting that was made by Jackie herself
Look closely at any photo taken of Jackie Kennedy in the ’70s, and you’ll likely notice one consistency: a Cartier tank watch on her wrist.
On June 21st, Christie’s in New York will be auctioning off the timepiece (in addition to one of her paintings) as part of the auction house’s Rare Watches and American Icons sale. While it’s estimated that the pair will sell for between $60,000 – $120,000, their fascinating backstory almost makes them priceless.
In 1962, inspired by a 1908 executive order by President Theodore Roosevelt in which he mandated that all Marine officers should be able to complete a 50-mile hike in twenty hours, President John F. Kennedy challenged the Marine Corps, the White House staff, and the rest of the nation to the task. The president also personally challenged his brother-in-law Prince Stanislas Radziwill and his good friend Chuck Spalding to the hike, betting that they weren’t in good enough shape to complete it.
On February 22nd 1963, Radziwill and Spalding took up the President’s bet and set out for a 50-mile hike along the Sunshine State Parkway in Palm Beach at 2:05am. They wore hiking boots, but were accompanied by a car and an entourage who frequently radioed back to the President’s house to request necessary rations (like steak, champagne, and orange juice), and Jackie Kennedy, her sister Lee Radziwill, and the President himself made frequent trips to the Parkway to check on the men. They finally finished the 50-mile at 9:35pm.
Shortly thereafter, Prince Radziwill and Jackie Kennedey exchanged gifts to commemorate the hike. Radziwill gave Jackie the Cartier tank watch, engraved with the message “Stas to Jackie 23 feb. 63 2:05 AM to 9:35 PM,” and Jackie gave Radziwill a painting she made of him and Spalding hiking along the parkway, inscribed with the dedication “February 23, 1963 2:05 am to 9:35pm/ Jackie to Stas with love and admiration.”
Both the watch and the painting will be sold on by Sotheby’s on the 21st. Jackie wore the watch frequently over the following decades, and it became a staple of her look—alongside her signature sunglasses and shoulder bags.