The small yellow-gold, manually wound Tank was gifted to Kennedy by her brother-in-law Prince Stanislaw Radziwill (known as ‘Stas’) in 1963, following a 50-mile hike the pair undertook, along with her then-husband President John F. Kennedy, in Palm Beach. The case-back bears the crude engraving ‘Stas to Jackie, 23 Feb. 63, 2.05 AM to 9.35 PM’ and is beautifully worn. 

In return, Kennedy presented Stas with a painting she’d created of him on said hike, which will be offered with the watch and, together, has an attached pre-sale estimate of 60,000–120,000 US dollars. With the 100th anniversary of the legendary Cartier Tank upon us, and interest in items with celebrity provenance continuing to soar, expect the salesroom in New York to be frenzied when this fascinating timepiece crosses the block. 

Photos courtesy of Christie’s © 2017