Did Marilyn Monroe Give President John F. Kennedy A Gold Rolex?

[cornerstore]

monroe-john-f-kennedy-top-secret-fbi-forbidden-pic-300x252.jpgDid Marilyn Monroe Give President John F. Kennedy A Gold Rolex?
In October of 2005, a gold Rolex Day-Date, commonly known as a Rolex President, sold at the Alexander Auction House in Greenwich, Connecticut for $120,000 dollars, breaking the house record. A stunning watch indeed, it was the historical ambiguity of the watch’s origins that drove up the selling price.
Purportedly, the gold Rolex President was given to John F. Kennedy by the iconic Marilyn Monroe on the evening the actress famously serenaded him, singing a sultry rendition of “Happy Birthday to You” on May 19, 1962, at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Inscribed with the words, “Jack, with love as always from Marilyn, May 29th 1962”, the watch was sold with a poem entitled: “A heartfelt plea on your birthday,” typed in black on a paper disc placed at the bottom of the gold case containing the gift. The date on the inscription corresponds with Kennedy’s birthday. However, even after garnering an exorbitant price at auction, many experts still question whether the watch is a real piece of history or an elaborate fake.
According to the story, Marilyn Monroe gave the watch to Kenneth O’Donnell, Kennedy’s aid, on the night of the celebration. Widely accepted to be having an affair, the watch was a gift from Monroe to President Kennedy. When Kenneth O’Donnell passed the watch on to J.F.K., Kennedy told him to “get rid of it,” according to a note that was sold with the watch.
The Rolex was put up for auction in 2005 and was expected to sell for between $40,000 and $60,000, a gross underestimate considering the final selling price of $120,000. Bill Panagopulos, founder of the auction house, explained the huge discrepancy: “It’s the hardest thing I ever had to estimate, historic relics, especially when there is a hint of scandal attached, defy any attempt by an auctioneer to estimate their selling price.”
The biggest question, when considering the watch’s valuation, is whether it is actually authentic. Rather than being sold by the O’Donnell family, Panagopulos said the Rolex President had been brought to him by an English citizen, “who describes his family as being prominent pawnbrokers for the upper classes.” According to Panagopulos, the watch’s serial number and engraving are appropriate for the time, and the history of the watch was confirmed by a family member of Kennedy’s former aide.
An ornate design on the top lid of the round gold case containing the Rolex shows two doves “kissing.” In the bottom of the case, there is a round piece of paper printed with the poem from Marilyn to her alleged lover. Titled “A heartfelt plea on your birthday,” the poem reads, “Let lovers breathe their sighs/And roses bloom and music sound/Let passion burn on lips and eyes/And pleasures merry world go round/Let golden sunshine flood the sky/ and let me love/ or let me die!”
Overall, the Rolex and its accompanying notes represent a dramatic course of events that will always be shrouded in speculation. Marilyn Monroe’s death, by a mysterious drug overdose in August 1962, and President Kennedy’s assassination in November 1963, means that the truth may never be known. The aide, Kenneth O’Donnell, who was given the watch in the story, passed away in 1977, and his family refuses to comment on the gold Rolex and its historical validity. It seems that whether or not the tale is true, the anonymous buyer of this Rolex President will never regret the timeless sophistication of this watch and the intrigue of its origins.
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[escudoturbo]

I do remember reading, possibly on this forum, that the 'real' Rolex Monroe gave JFK was a far less ornate SS Datejust.

[Idle Swede]

No she didn't

[Jackxv]

Propably not, according to Jake's watch blog the date of production of the watch doesn't match the inscription.

So I don't say it didn't happen but according to the serial it wasn't this watch

"According to every verifiable Rolex serial number list, the "Monroe JFK Rolex" with a serial number of 1296419), should be from the third quarter of 1965, 2 years after President Kennedy was assassinated.

http://rolexblog.blogspot.com/2008/0...nt-part-9.html

Jack

[BASSETHOUNDS]

I would have thought that if that was the watch really given by M.Monroe to JFK , engraved , documented etc it would fetch much more . IMHO

[ESKO]

GREAT STORY!
SS Datejust? No I think a president for a president!

[DWdrummer]

I read somewhere that JFK wore a gold Omega of some kind during his years as President.

[daveathall]

I'm not saying Yay or Nay because I don't know, but you would have thought that the auction house, and the bloke that spent $120K would have researched the provenance of the watch beforehand quite extensively.

[ParisDakarBmw]

Interesting either way! Great read!

[cornerstore]

Originally Posted by Jackxv

Propably not, according to Jake's watch blog the date of production of the watch doesn't match the inscription.

So I don't say it didn't happen but according to the serial it wasn't this watch

"According to every verifiable Rolex serial number list, the "Monroe JFK Rolex" with a serial number of 1296419), should be from the third quarter of 1965, 2 years after President Kennedy was assassinated.

http://rolexblog.blogspot.com/2008/0...nt-part-9.html

Jack

Great link and Pics thanks. Seems the myth deepens as we know Rolex serial numbers are very hard to date sometimes.

[InVision]

Whatever Swede says you can take to the bank!!

Mike

[cornerstore]

Originally Posted by Idle Swede

No she didn't

[HYDROMAROC]

She gave him A LOT more than a watch....

[Safetrends]

It is really a tragic end for both of them, and both deaths are still a mystery.

[Widows Son]

I've also heard that the S/N date doesn't add up. JFK'S Omega is now in the company museum in Switzerland. He also wore a tank styled Cartier, a wedding gift from Jackie.

[Zirotti]

Originally Posted by Safetrends

It is really a tragic end for both of them, and both deaths are still a mystery.

Thanks Robert Stack :)

[Adam100]

Yes she did / she really had taste :)

[neillfrith]

Even if it is a hoax/fake backstory I still love the story and the watch

[DadsWatch72]

Originally Posted by HYDROMAROC

She gave him A LOT more than a watch....

I prefer Jeannie.

[bewithabob]

woof woof

[jets]

How could she throw herself at him like that I don't buy it she could have had almost anyone.

[ayres]

Originally Posted by jets

How could she throw herself at him like that I don't buy it she could have had almost anyone.

but no one else is the president!!!

and monica lewinsky could have had anyone... oh, wait, never mind. she was a ladder-climbing intern!

[ducatidoc]

Originally Posted by DadsWatch72

I prefer Jeannie.

Marilyn was getting it on with Barbara Eden too ? Cool !

[Johnclintonlopez]

Barbara Eden was hot when she was young .

[Cato]

Originally Posted by Zirotti

Thanks Robert Stack :)

I really miss that show.

[jets]

Originally Posted by ayres

but no one else is the president!!!

and monica lewinsky could have had anyone... oh, wait, never mind. she was a ladder-climbing intern!

Yes thats true but wasn't it really bad to be a ho in those days? Wouldn't it have affected her reputation worse to be a homewreaker in that era?