From George Washington to Herbert Hoover, every US president was known to have carried a pocketwatch. FDR, however, would be the first president to popularize the wristwatch as a valid presidential accessory.
President Roosevelt was known for owning both a skeletonized minute repeater pocketwatch as well as a Tiffany & Co. Movado triple calendar watch.
Minute Repeater
While in Havana, President Roosevelt was given an A. Frankfeld skeletonized minute repeater pocketwatch from Dr. Boldan, the former minister of education in Cuba. The meeting took place at a Lions Club in Havana on Jan 30, 1942. The lid of the watch includes the inscription
“Presented to/President Roosevelt/by/Dr. Boldan/Former Minister of Education/at Dinner of/Lions Club of Havana on/January 30, 1942.”
Tiffany CT 60
FDR’s most famous wristwatch was a sTiffany signed Movado he received for his birthday in 1945. According to the story, the president’s soninlaw received the watch as a Christmas gift the year prior and regifted it to his fatherinlaw the next year. The watch was supposedly worn by the president during the Malta and Yalta Conferences in 1945, as well as throughout the latter months of his life. The watch now [supposedly] resides in the Tiffany archives. In recent years, Tiffany has begun selling a new CT60 Calendar Watch model based on FDR’s original.
8 Comments
Robert Lawson
Mark, please continue this Presidential series on their watches. Can’t wait to read the next one ie, Truman on up to JFK and later ones.
Ben Joubert
Very interesting and enlightening, can’t wait for next post. Thank you Mark !
Mark Morgan
Great story These are the things that are lost in time. Thank you Mark
Dan
Thanks as always for sharing your knowledge. I always look forward to recieving a notification that a new post is available.
Clint Edwards
I thoroughly enjoy your blog.
Thank you for taking the time to provide it
Mike
I enjoy your blog.
David Capstick
Great reading. We know the Presidents had a time piece but it is great knowing the kind and where it came from. Recently enjoyed going through the NAWCC Museum in Pennsylvania and seeing many interesting and historical watches.
DWC
Frank Power
Very interesting stories! Thanks for posting!