22nd December 1969: Jackie Onassis (1929 – 1994), wife of Greek ship-owner Aristotle Onassis and widow of US president John F Kennedy. (Photo by David Cairns/Express/Getty Images)
The Kennedys are possibly the closest thing that Americans can call royalty. Having left an undeniable mark in the world of politics, at least one of their members cemented her role as a style star. As one of the most famous and often admired women anything that was once owned by this Kennedy family member is bound to illicit the attention of many. On June 21, Chrisite’s will auction off theJackie Kennedy-Onassis Cartier Tank watch that was once worn by America’s most revered First Ladies of all time. The timepiece will be a part of the auction house’s Rare Watches and American Icons New York sale.
Jackie Kennedy Onassis’s timelessness is evident in her classic Cartier Tank, having been gifted to her by her brother-in-law Prince Stanislaw “Stas” Radziwill in 1963. The timepiece is a design first created 100 years ago by Louis Cartier, and is engraved with the words “Stas to Jackie 23 Feb. 63 2:05 am to 9:35 pm.” The time refers to the start and stop times of the famous 50-Mile Hike in Palm Beach in 1963. Despite the dial having aged and the watch case appearing softer after time, the yellow gold Tank highlights the frequency at which Onassis wore the watch. The watch has been photographed on Onassis‘s wrist an abundance of times while she was alive.
The watch will be auctioned alongside an original painting made by the former First Lady as a gift to her brother-in-law in 1963. Likewise, the painting celebrates the hike as well, mirroring the words on the watch with “February 23, 1963 2:05 am to 9:35 pm / Jackie to Stas with love and admiration”. Both the watch and the painting are the newest artefacts to surface from the Kennedy Presidency in recent years.
John Reardon, International Head of Christie’s Watches comments, “The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Cartier Tank is a watch full of emotion, love and history. Together with Jackie’s painting, these two objects capture the spirit of another era, a time where friendship and the “can-do” optimism of the generation seemed to make anything possible. In this spirit, the consignor has offered to donate a portion of the proceeds to the National Endowment for the Arts. Christie’s Watches proudly offers this truly iconic timepiece and painting on June 21 in our New York Rockefeller Center Saleroom.”
While the estimate for the watch is 60,000—120,000 dollars, it seems likely that it will go for a much higher price.
For more information not he Rare Watches and American Icons event, do visit Christie’s.
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