Jacqueline Kennedy’s Cartier watch to auction

A Cartier watch belonging to Jacqueline Kennedy is set to be one of the biggest memorabilia sales of the summer.

She received the timepiece as a gift from her brother-in-law, Prince Stanislaw Radziwill, in February 1963.

Kennedy Onassis Cartier

The watch is accompanied by a painting by Jacqueline Kennedy 

The reverse features the intriguing inscription: "Stas to Jackie 23 Feb. 63 2:05 am to 9:35 pm."

It records the time of a gruelling 19 hour walk Radziwill undertook with Chuck Spalding, a family friend of the Kennedys, along the Sunshine State Parkway in Florida a few days before.  

JFK was keen to encourage Americans to exercise regularly.

One of his initiatives (which came about largely by accident) was to propose the challenge of completing a 50 mile walk in less than 20 hours.

This came to be known as the Kennedy March and spread to Europe as well as the US.

Jacqueline had supported Radziwill and Spalding along their Kennedy March. Radziwill gave this watch to her in thanks.

In return, Jacqueline painted a picture of the two men on their walk.

That painting is included in the lot, which is valued at $60,000-120,000.

John Reardon, international head of watches at Christie’s, said: "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.”

Click here for all our Kennedy memorabilia.

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