John F. Kennedy received this Omega  watch from his friend Grant Stockdale in 1961 before he was elected.

Note the inscription:

PRESIDENT

OF THE

UNITED STATES

JOHN F. KENNEDY

FROM HIS FRIEND

GRANT

Omega bought back the watch last year for $350,000.  We were lucky to have it on display at J.B. Hudson for one night only last week along with a hand-written thank you note from Jackie.  The stationary is inscribed “Hammersmith Farm Newport Rhode Island,” which was the childhood home of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Here’s an excerpt:

I wish you could have seen the joy in our faces–That is the thinnest, most elegant wristwatch–Jack promptly took off the clunky little one I gave him once–and I didn’t mind a bit–as it looks like a Mickey Mouse watch compared to yours–and he is so thrilled with it.

She signed it “Affectionately, Jackie.” That’s better advertisement for Omega I’ve ever heard of–but not so good for Disney.

You can buy replicas of the watch for about $8,250.

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