FDR's pocket watch on Christie's

Deafboy
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Perusing the Christie's lots of an upcoming auction I noticed something interesting: it's Franklin D. Roosevelt's watch that is believed to be given to him by his wife Eleanor as a wedding gift. That is quite a provenance! Nice watch too: 18k gold Audemars hunter case quarter repeater.

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Alpha
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Interesting where that one will end up ? but 🥰
 
Larry S
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Is it me or are they a bit cagey about the provenance? Estimate seems low for a man of his accomplishments and significance.
 
Deafboy
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Larry S Larry S
Is it me or are they a bit cagey about the provenance? Estimate seems low for a man of his accomplishments and significance.

Apparently it was sold a few times in the past at auctions. The original consignor to Sotheby's was James Roosevelt, who was FDR and Eleanor's eldest son. The watch sold for $18,400 in 2005 and $27,485 in 2012. Curious that such a provenance is worth less than a garden variety vintage tool watch.
 
Deafboy
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The watch sold for 50 k$ (+ fee & taxes).
 
Professor
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I vaguely remember a fine man's diamond ring that had belonged to FDR being found in the sand of a beach by some old guy with a metal detector. Don't remember anything else about the find. I think it was in Florida but not sure.

Found this
"Franklin Delano Roosevelt wore a calendar wristwatch with the name “Tiffany & Co.” on the dial and a Movado movement inside. He also owned a minute-repeater pocket watch from the Geneva-based A. Frankfeld company. The watch is elaborately engraved with FDR’s initials. The lid bears the inscription “Presented to/President Roosevelt/by/Dr. Boldan/Former Minister of Education/at Dinner of/Lions Club of Havana on/January 30, 1942.”

Possibly another watch altogether.

More good reading here
https://www.watchtime.com/featured/watch-u-s-presidents-timepieces/
Edited:
 
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