John F. Kennedy's Watches: The Omega Ultra Thin and the Others
The watch most closely tied to John F. Kennedy is not a Rolex or a Cartier. It is a slim 18k gold Omega Ultra Thin , reference OT3980, given to him in 1960 by his friend Grant Stockdale and engraved before the election with the words “President of the United States.” This guide covers that watch and the others with a documented link to Kennedy: a 1941 Bulova, a Nastrix, a reported Cartier and a Rolex he is said never to have worn. It gives the auction results with dates and labels how well each watch is documented.
The short answer
Four watches are well documented: the Omega Ultra Thin OT3980 ( $350,000 , 2005, now in the Omega Museum), the Nastrix ( $120,000 , 2009), the 1941 Bulova ( $25,958 , 2013) and the Rolex gold watch from Marilyn Monroe ( $120,000 , 2005), which was a gift and was reportedly not worn. The Cartier is reported, but its model and whereabouts are uncertain. Several widely repeated claims are wrong, including the idea that one “$120,000 watch” exists.
Who wears what: quick reference
| Character (actor) | Watches |
|---|---|
| The signature watch(1960 to 1963) | Omega Ultra Thin, 18k yellow gold; Omega Specialties Collection JFK Commemorative, 18k yellow gold |
| Gifts from the family circle(1957 to 1963) | Nastrix automatic, 14k yellow gold; Cartier gold watch (anniversary gift from Jacqueline Kennedy, 1957) |
| The early watch(1941) | Bulova “JFK 1941” |
| The gift he is said not to have worn(1962) | Rolex gold Day-Date (“President”), gift from Marilyn Monroe |
| Watches in the story | Patek Philippe desk clock (West Berlin, 1963) |
How we label the evidence
Confirmed means a costume designer, prop department, the brand or the show itself said so, or multiple reputable outlets agree and cite a source. Reported means a single reputable outlet or database reports it. We leave out other fan speculation, and where sources disagree we say so. All prices are in US dollars and are indicative; check current listings before buying.
The signature watch (1960 to 1963)
The Omega Ultra Thin is the best-documented Kennedy watch: it has an engraving, two letters, an inauguration-era photograph and a traceable sale. Its fame rests on how well it was recorded, and on how often it is mistaken for something else.
| Watch | Reference | Evidence | Where it's documented | Price (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omega Ultra Thin, 18k yellow gold | OT3980 (stated by Wrist Enthusiast and a watchprosite digest; SJX gives no reference) | Confirmed | A gift from Grant Stockdale, a Florida friend and political supporter, in 1960. The caseback reads “President of the United States / John F. Kennedy / From His Friend Grant.” A 1960 letter from Jacqueline Kennedy to Stockdale calls it the “thinnest most elegant wristwatch,” and a 1962 letter from Kennedy to Stockdale says he was “now wearing the Stockdale watch.” Worn at the January 1961 inauguration. Sold in 2005 in the Robert L. White Collection auction and bought by Omega for its museum in Biel/Bienne | $350,000, New York, December 2005. One dealer blog says $420,000; most sources and Omega's figure say $350,000 |
| Omega Specialties Collection JFK Commemorative, 18k yellow gold | 516.53.25.00.02.001; caliber 2006; 25 mm | Reported | A limited run of 261 pieces, a later tribute to the original. The release year is uncertain: SJX says 2008, a dealer listing shows papers dated 2015, and a search summary says 2005 | Dealer listing sold; price not published |
Gifts from the family circle (1957 to 1963)
Two watches reached Kennedy as anniversary and friendship gifts. One is well documented through an auction lot page. The other is a famous story with a model and whereabouts nobody can currently confirm.
| Watch | Reference | Evidence | Where it's documented | Price (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nastrix automatic, 14k yellow gold | Made 1962; caliber 2451; 34 mm; 8 mm thick | Confirmed | Given in January 1963 by David Bruce, then US ambassador to the UK, and his wife Evangeline. The caseback reads “To President John F. Kennedy From The Evangelines 1963.” Evelyn Lincoln, his secretary, said he wore it often on morning swims. Lincoln gave it to Jacqueline Kennedy on November 23, 1963; it passed to Aristotle Onassis in 1971, back to Lincoln after 1975, and to collector Robert White in 1991. Antiquorum, New York, March 5, 2009, lot 538, with a letter of authenticity from Lincoln | $120,000 hammer, March 5, 2009 (estimate $150,000 to $250,000) |
| Cartier gold watch (anniversary gift from Jacqueline Kennedy, 1957) | Tank or round-dial; sources conflict | Reported | Reported as a fourth-anniversary gift, engraved with initials on the back. Care of Carl and Watchdoctor report it was on his wrist in Dallas on November 22, 1963, and describe a chain of hands from Jacqueline Kennedy to Evelyn Lincoln to Robert White. Watchdoctor calls it a Tank; Bob's Watches says round-dial and finds no evidence he wore a Tank. Current whereabouts unknown | No auction price found |
The early watch (1941)
Before the White House, there is a modest 1941 Bulova, and it is the only Kennedy watch with a lot page that records its damage as well as its history.
| Watch | Reference | Evidence | Where it's documented | Price (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulova “JFK 1941” | Manual-wind caliber 8AE; 17 jewels; 22 x 36 mm case; case back no. 1166568 | Confirmed | Bracelet plate engraved “JFK, 1941.” Given on November 10, 1941 by a female admirer at a dinner hosted by Cissy Patterson. The lot notes the crystal is missing and the hour hand is broken, and that he reportedly cracked the crystal twice. It passed to a staff member after his death. RR Auction #418, lot 1. Bob's Watches also lists it as the first watch he was photographed wearing (reported) | $25,958 incl. premium, RR Auction, November 13, 2013 |
The gift he is said not to have worn (1962)
This is the most misreported Kennedy watch. It is real, the inscription is documented, and the sale is recorded. What the record does not support is the claim that he wore it.
| Watch | Reference | Evidence | Where it's documented | Price (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolex gold Day-Date (“President”), gift from Marilyn Monroe | Reference not given in any source; model reported as Day-Date or solid gold President | Confirmed | Confirmed as a gift, not as a worn watch. The inscription reads “JACK / With love as always / from / MARILYN / May 29th 1962.” Documentation says it passed through the family of aide Kenneth O'Donnell, and a provenance letter says Kennedy told O'Donnell to “get rid of it.” Alexander Autographs sold it in October 2005 to an American collector. One watchprosite digest suggests the serial number points to 1965 production, which would be after his death; that is a single claim we treat as uncertain | $120,000, Alexander Autographs, Connecticut, October 2005 |
Not a wristwatch: the Berlin desk clock
One more Kennedy timepiece is often listed with the watches, but it is a desk clock. It is included here so it is not confused with the wristwatches above.
| Watch | Reference | Evidence | Story | Price (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patek Philippe desk clock (West Berlin, 1963) | Quartz desk clock; gilt brass, marble and wood base | Confirmed | Presented in June 1963 by Willy Brandt, then mayor of West Berlin, and commissioned by retailer Heinz Wipperfeld. It shows Moscow, Washington and Berlin time. It is held by the JFK Presidential Library and was lent to Patek's New York Grand Exhibition in July 2017 | Not sold; museum collection |
Bob's Watches wrongly attributes this clock to John F. Kennedy Jr. It was presented to the President.
Adjacent watches that are not Kennedy's
Two of the most-cited prices in Kennedy watch articles belong to someone else's watch. Jacqueline Kennedy's own gold Cartier Tank, a gift from her brother-in-law Prince Stanislaw Radziwill, was engraved “Stas to Jackie 23 Feb. 63 2:05 am to 9:35 pm” to mark a 50-mile walk in Palm Beach that was part of a fitness challenge set by the President. It sold at Christie's New York on June 21, 2017 for $379,500, against a high estimate of $120,000. That was her watch, not his.
A Patek Philippe reference 1463 in 18k gold belonged to Dr. Kemp Clark, the Parkland Hospital neurosurgeon who pronounced the President dead. It was offered at Christie's New York in December with an estimate of up to $150,000, but we could not find the result, and sources conflict on the year (2013 or 2015). Treat that sale as unverified.
Omega also used the President's image in 2009 advertising for the 40th anniversary of the 1969 Moon landing, linking his 1961 to 1962 space-race role to the Speedmaster. Omega's president Stephen Urquhart is quoted, in a search summary we did not verify, saying the Kennedy watch would sit in the museum next to the first watch worn on the Moon. No current market price exists for any original Kennedy watch: all are in a museum or in private hands. The Guernsey's name for the 2005 sale also comes from a search summary only.
Get the look for less
Modern and vintage watches in the spirit of the originals. These are editorial suggestions, not Kennedy's watches, and we have not checked current prices for this page.
| Watch | Why it fits | Price (US) |
|---|---|---|
| Omega De Ville (vintage or pre-owned) | Slim Omega dress watch in the spirit of the Ultra Thin | Varies; check current listings |
| Cartier Tank (pre-owned) | The Cartier the Ultra Thin is often mistaken for | Varies; check current listings |
| Rolex Day-Date (pre-owned) | The model family of the Monroe gift | Varies; check current listings |
Myths and mix-ups, corrected
- “There is a single $120,000 Kennedy watch.” Two different watches each sold for $120,000: the Monroe Rolex in October 2005 and the Nastrix in March 2009. Wrist Enthusiast and Barrington Watch Winders cite the wrong sale.
- “The Cartier Tank that sold for $379,500 was Kennedy's.” It was Jacqueline Kennedy's Tank, sold at Christie's in 2017. Wrist Enthusiast places it among Kennedy's watches in error.
- “Kennedy wore the Rolex from Marilyn Monroe.” The record shows a gift, an inscription and a sale, and a reported instruction to pass it on. It does not show him wearing it.
- “The Omega Ultra Thin was a Jacqueline Kennedy gift.” Grant Stockdale gave it. Her 1960 letter thanks Stockdale. Her own 1957 gift was a Cartier.
- “The Omega Ultra Thin is a Cartier.” It is often mistaken for one because of its slim rectangular case, but it is an Omega, engraved from Stockdale.
- “The Omega sold for $420,000, or at Sotheby's, Christie's or Phillips.” Most sources and Omega's own figure say $350,000, from the 2005 Robert L. White Collection sale, not a major-house auction.
- “Kennedy wore a Zenith.” The square Zenith “Kennedy” is a collector nickname. A watchprosite digest says there is no proof he wore a Zenith, and the origin of the name is not explained.
- “The Patek desk clock was John F. Kennedy Jr.'s.” It was presented to the President in Berlin in 1963.
Sources
Watches by SJX, JCK, Wrist Enthusiast, Bob’s Watches, Watchdoctor, Watchonista, Care of Carl, Barrington Watch Winders and a watchprosite Zenith digest; the Antiquorum catalogue (lot 538) and the RR Auction lot page (#418); National Jeweler for the 2017 Christie’s sale; Fox News for the Kemp Clark Patek; Quill and Pad for the Berlin clock. We did not read Omega’s own pages, the JFK Library or the Guernsey’s catalogue. Prices are US dollars as reported at the time of each sale.
Frequently Asked Questions
What watch did John F. Kennedy wear?
His best-documented watch is an 18k gold Omega Ultra Thin, reference OT3980, given to him by Grant Stockdale in 1960 and worn at the 1961 inauguration. He also owned a 1941 Bulova and received a Nastrix in 1963.
Where is JFK's Omega watch now?
It is in the Omega Museum in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. Omega bought it in 2005 for $350,000.
Did JFK wear the Rolex Marilyn Monroe gave him?
The record shows it as a gift inscribed May 29, 1962. It is reported that he did not wear it and told aide Kenneth O'Donnell to get rid of it. It sold in 2005 for $120,000.
What did JFK's Nastrix watch sell for?
$120,000 at Antiquorum in New York on March 5, 2009, against an estimate of $150,000 to $250,000.
Was Kennedy wearing a Cartier in Dallas?
It is reported, by Care of Carl and Watchdoctor, that he wore a gold Cartier from his wife on November 22, 1963. The model is uncertain and its whereabouts are unknown.
Did Kennedy own a Cartier Tank?
Not that we can confirm. The Cartier Tank that sold in 2017 for $379,500 was Jacqueline Kennedy's.
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