Christie’s Images LTD. 2017(NEW YORK) — The watch once owned by former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy — and worn by the fashion icon in many prominent photos — is being auctioned in New York Wednesday.
The Cartier Tank watch was originally given to Kennedy by her brother-in-law Prince Stanislaw “Stas” Radziwill, and is engraved with “Stas to Jackie 23 Feb. 63 2:05 am to 9:35 pm.”
The time in the engraving marked the start and stop times for the 1963 50 Mile Hike in Palm Beach, Florida, that Radziwell completed, according to Christie’s, the auction house overseeing the sale. The 50 Mile Hike was a challenge that President John F. Kennedy briefly promoted to encourage building the mental and physical toughness needed to walk 50 consecutive miles.
A painting that Jacqueline Kennedy made in 1963 will be accompanying the sale of her watch, according to Christie’s. At the bottom of the painting, the former first lady wrote, “February 23, 1963 2:05 am to 9:35 pm Jackie to Stas with love and admiration.”
“The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Cartier Tank is a watch full of emotion, love and history,” John Reardon, international head of Christie’s Watches, said in a statement. “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.
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Reardon added that the consignor of the watch has “offered to donate a portion of the proceeds to the National Endowment for the Arts.”
Christie’s estimates that the watch and painting will bring in between $60,000 and $120,000 at auction.
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