The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Cartier Tank watch is all set to go under the hammer as the sale highlight at Christie’s Rare Watches and American Icons New York sale on June 21. Christie’s New York Watches will be auctioning off this watch that was gifted to Jackie by her from her brother-in-law Prince Stanislaw “Stas” Radziwill in 1963. With its price estimated between $60,000 and $120,000, this Cartier Tank watch was born by Jackie for decades, as can be seen in many iconic photos. The watch features the engraving: “Stas to Jackie 23 Feb. 63 2:05 am to 9:35 pm.” The times refer to the start and stop times of the famous 50-Mile Hike in Palm Beach in 1963. In the June 21st NY auction, the watch will also be accompanied by an original painting that Jackie made in 1963 as a gift for Stas Radziwill celebrating the hike with the dedication “February 23, 1963 2:05 am to 9:35 pm / Jackie to Stas with love and admiration”. The 50-mile hike became a short-lived fad in early 1963 after President Kennedy publicly asked the American people to accept the mentally and physically grueling challenge of walking this long distance. His inner circle of family and friends were some of the first to attempt the hike including his friends Stas Radziwill and Chuck Spalding, featured in the painting. This watch and the accompanying painting, previously unknown to the public, are two of the most important historic artifacts to surface in recent years from the Kennedy Presidency times.
