We believe Eleanor Roosevelt gave this watch — offered in New York on 6 December — to her husband, Franklin D. Roosevelt, on their wedding day more than 100 years ago. No wonder Christie’s watch specialist Rebecca Ross considers it ‘a treasure’
On 17 March, 1905 — St Patrick’s Day — Theodore Roosevelt, the
newly inaugurated President of the United States, walked
his niece, Eleanor Roosevelt, down the aisle. The press reported that the 20-year-old bride looked ‘magnificent’ and ‘regal’ while the
groom, the ambitious trainee lawyer Franklin Delano Roosevelt
(1882-1945), was described as being ‘athletic’.
When the President was asked about the Roosevelt-Roosevelt
union, the Rough Rider quipped, ‘It’s a good thing to keep
the name in the family’. A marriage between two very distant
cousins that began in the public eye — a large crowd of people
turned up on East 76th Street in Manhattan to cheer the newlyweds — remained a constant source of scrutiny for the next
40 years.
Franklin Roosevelt would go on to become the longest-serving
President of the United States, holding office in an unprecedented
four terms between 1933 and 1945. Much of his married life
was spent surrounded by aides, assistants and advisers, and
yet posthumously written biographies have revealed that he
and his wife managed to keep much of their private life,
which included numerous affairs on both sides, a closely
guarded secret.
Christie’s specialist Rebecca Ross describes the pocket watch
as ‘a treasure’, and believes Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)
gave it to Franklin on their wedding day. ‘It offers an intimate
insight into a very private marriage,’ she states. ‘It’s
also in remarkable condition considering he probably wore
it daily.’
The Audemars Frères hunter case pocket watch is engraved with
Roosevelt’s monogram. ‘The chime of the quarter repeater
sounds beautifully,’ adds the specialist, ‘which is testament
to the craftsmanship of its makers.’
Ross is also delighted by the pattern on the case. ‘The dial
was engine-turned — a decorating technique known as guilloché — and
that is why it has this lovely shell-like pattern on the
back,’ she explains. ‘Audemars Frères was only in operation from 1885 until
the early 1900s, so there are not many examples of this kind
left today.’
Inside the case is a portrait of the young Eleanor. ‘Their
marriage was truly remarkable, when you think what they went
through,’ says the specialist. It was a partnership
that was radically modern for the times: Eleanor, a fiercely
intelligent woman with an autonomy rare for the First Lady,
was her husband’s tireless supporter, and helped him to win
the Presidency even after a crippling illness that left him
paralysed.
Through the Great Depression, 12 years in the White House and
the burden of leading the country during the Second World
War, their marriage remained surprisingly solid.
Thirty-two years after their wedding, FDR recalled that
day in 1905. Describing the marching bands and the boisterous,
limelight-hugging Theodore, he said the couple had been entirely
overshadowed, and yet the day remained one of ‘particular tenderness’.
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The original consignor of the watch in 1988 was the couple’s
eldest son, James Roosevelt. Since then it has remained in
private hands. ‘We thought it had been lost in 2012,’ reveals
Ross, ‘so it’s wonderful that it has re-emerged. It is a
rare and valuable piece of American history.’