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Auctions: Eisenhower’s Rolex on sale at an estimated $1 million value

A valuable Rolex wristwatch owned by Dwight D. Eisenhower will be on sale for the first time in its history – valued at an estimated US$1 million – during a live auction event to be held on 17 September 2014 by Boston-based auction house RR Auction. Dating back to 1951, the yellow gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual DateJust reference 6305 on a matching Jubilee bracelet with deployment clasp was presented to General Eisenhower by Rolex to celebrate the production of their 150,000th watch to obtain ‘Official Chronometer’ certification (the 100,000th was given to Winston Churchill), and to recognise the general’s great achievements in World War II.
A valuable Rolex wristwatch owned by Dwight D. Eisenhower will be on sale for the first time in its history – valued at an estimated US$1 million – during a live auction event to be held on 17 September 2014  by Boston-based auction house RR Auction. 


Dating back to 1951, the yellow gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual DateJust reference 6305 on a matching Jubilee bracelet with deployment clasp was presented to General Eisenhower by Rolex to celebrate the production of their 150,000th watch to obtain ‘Official Chronometer’ certification (the 100,000th was given to Winston Churchill), and to recognise the general’s great achievements in World War II.

The back case and the bracelet clasp were engraved with the DDE initials. On the back Rolex also engraved the five-star general insignia and date that NATO appointed him as Supreme Allied Commander of Europe, “12-19-1950.”

In the Dwight D. Eisenhower portrait that appeared on the cover of the July 21 issue of Life Magazine - just after he had secured the Republican Party’s presidential nomination - this rare Rolex is displayed in full view on his left wrist. Eisenhower frequently wore this watch throughout his tenure in presidential office. 



The watch is in good running order with some refinishing of case and bracelet surfaces. The dial was upgraded in the 1960's to the current original (never refinished) Rolex silvered dial, with applied gold markers, and tritium luminous dots matching tritium paint channels in the hands for nighttime vision. The original dial would have had radium activated luminous and more of a matte appearance, but the original red date disk was retained. Tritium was newly being used at the time in place of radium activated paints, as it was much more safe.

The accompanying documents mention that the President was having some difficulty reading the red letter date, but Rolex provided one of the newly developed 'Cyclops' crystals to aid his experience of the watch. The watch is accompanied by spare links for the bracelet, the original Rolex crown that was changed by Rolex when upgrading to the ‘Twin-Lock’ system, and various spare crystals. 

The wristwatch is among items from the Raleigh DeGeer Amyx collection who acquired the historical timepiece from the widow of Sgt. John Moaney, a faithful Army colleague who had followed Eisenhower all the way to the White House serving him as his personal valet. When Eisenhower died in 1969, he bequeathed his Rolex to his loyal friend as a token of appreciation for a lifetime of service.

For more details on this upcoming auction, visit the RR Auction web site.

September 22, 2014 Update
The watch was not sold at the auction as the best offer - US$ 475,000 - did not exceed the reserve. Evidently the historical aspects were not enough to justify the high price to collectors considering the overall condition of the watch and, above all, the replacement of the original dial.

COMMENTS

Name

A. Lange & Sohne,137,Accutron,1,AkriviA,10,Alain Silberstein,3,alarm,16,Alpina,14,Andersen Geneve,2,Andersmann,2,Andreas Strehler,5,Angelus,5,annual calendar,43,Anonimo,15,Anthony de Haas,1,Antiquorum,4,Antoine Martin,2,Antoine Preziuso,1,Apple,2,Apple Watch,2,Aquadive,2,Aquastar,1,Armin Strom,76,Arnold and Son,26,Artime,1,Astarwatch,1,Atelier de Chronometrie,1,Ateliers deMonaco,2,Atmos,1,Auctions,91,Audemars Piguet,92,Autodromo,1,automaton,2,BA111OD,1,Ball Watch,1,Bamford,2,Baselword 2022,1,Baselworld,8,BaselWorld 2013,50,BaselWorld 2014,53,Baselworld 2015,69,Baselworld 2016,27,Baselworld 2017,64,Baselworld 2018,75,Baselworld 2019,41,Baselworld 2020,2,Baume,4,Baume & Mercier,11,Baume et Mercier,65,Bell & Ross,39,Bernhard Lederer,4,Bernhard Zwinz,1,bespoke,1,Blancpain,92,blue dial,3,Bonhams,2,Bovet,12,Brands histories,1,Breguet,122,Breitling,71,Bremont,1,Bremont Watch Company,4,Breva,2,bronze,28,Bücherei,1,Bucherer,1,Bulgari,114,Bulova,2,Burberry,1,C3H5N3O9,1,carbon,3,carillon,3,Carl F. Bucherer,4,Carl Suchy,1,Carrera,17,Cartier,46,ceramic,20,Certina,11,Chanel,4,Chaumet,3,chiming hour,13,Chopard,42,Christiaan van der Klaauw,1,Christie's,9,Christophe Claret,5,Christopher Ward,14,chronograph,717,chronometer,38,Chronoswiss,6,Citizen,3,co-axial,1,column-wheel,7,complete calendar,27,complications,88,concept watch,5,Concord,1,constant-force,39,Corum,18,Credor,1,CSEM,1,Cuervo y Sobrinos,1,Cyrus,32,Czapek,8,Dan Niederer,1,Davosa,1,Daytona,7,De Bethune,28,de Grisogono,3,dead seconds,21,Delma,1,detent escapement,4,DeWitt,9,digital display,1,dive watches,56,diving,8,diving watches,377,double regulator,3,Doxa,34,drei,1,dress watches,504,dual time,101,Ebel,2,Eberhard,35,Edouard Koehn,5,Edox,6,El Primero,41,Emile Chouriet,1,Emmanuel Bouchet,1,Emmanuel Breguet,1,enamel dial,12,enamelling,15,Equation of time,9,ETA,1,Eterna,18,exhibitions,1,F.P.Journe,38,Faberge,2,factory tours,3,Favre-Leuba,1,feature article,82,features,118,Felipe Pikullik,2,Ferdinand Berthoud,7,flyback,55,Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie,1,Formex,1,Fortis,9,Franc Vila Founder,1,Franck Muller,7,Frederic Jouvenot,1,Frederique Constant,15,Furlan Marri,1,FVF,1,Gallet,1,Garrick,1,Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix,8,Georg Jensen,1,George Daniels,4,Gerald Charles,2,Gerald Genta,12,Girard-Perregaux,47,Glashuette,19,Glashuette Original,88,Glashütte,33,Glashütte Original,121,Glycine,4,GMT,126,GoS,1,GoS Watches,1,GPHG,20,GPHG 2020,3,GPHG 2021,3,GPHG 2022,3,GPHG 2023,3,GPHG2019,1,Graham,6,Grand Feu,5,Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve,16,Grand Seiko,33,Grande Complication,28,Grande Sonnerie,8,Greubel Forsey,38,greubelforsey,1,Gronefeld,10,Grönefeld,8,Grossmann,3,guilloché,8,H. Moser and Cie,49,H20 Watch,1,Habring,10,Habring2,11,Hajime Asaoka,2,Hallmark of Geneva,2,Hamilton,37,hands-on,118,Hanhart,15,Harry Winston,11,Hautlence,6,Hermes,26,Heuer,2,high jewellery,2,high-frequency,3,Hublot,59,Hybris Artistica,1,Hydro Mechanical Horologists,7,HYT Watches,16,Icon,1,In pictures,17,independent watchmaker,35,industry news,227,interview,8,Interviews,8,IWC,166,Jacques Bianchi,1,Jaeger-LeCoultre,123,Jaquet Droz,58,Jean-Francois Mojon,1,Jean-Marc Pontroué,1,JeanRichard,3,jumping hours,36,Junghans,11,Kaj Korpela,1,Kari Voutilainen,10,Kenissi,1,Kollokium,1,Korpela,1,Krayon,4,Kudoke,5,Kurono,2,L.Leroy,1,L'Epee 1839,1,Labails,1,Ladies watches,190,Lang & Heyne,4,Lang 1943,1,Lange,48,large date,3,Laurent Ferrier,25,Laureus,2,Le Garde Temps,1,Lederer Watches,4,Leica,3,Lemania,1,Leroy,4,Linde Werdelin,2,Longines,93,Louis Erard,26,Louis Moinet,7,Louis Vuitton,1,luxury steel watch,24,LVMH,10,LVMH 2020,6,M.A.D.Edition,3,M.A.D.Editions,3,Maîtres du Temps,1,Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps,3,Manufacture Royale,3,Marc Lang,1,marine chronometer,2,Marqueterie,1,Maurice de Mauriac,2,Maurice Lacroix,26,MB&F,64,MCT,1,MeisterSinger,90,meteorite,3,metiers d'art,2,Mickey Mouse,2,Mido,59,military watches,14,Minerva,3,Ming,1,Minute Repeater,62,monopusher chronograph,4,Montblanc,57,moon phases,121,Moritz Grossmann,31,Moser,44,Muhle,6,Mühle-Glashütte,5,mystery watches,4,Nautilus,12,New Britain Corp,1,new watches,3587,Nivada,2,Nomos,76,Norqain,31,Ochs und Junior,6,Officine Panerai,103,Omega,190,Only Watch,15,Only Watch 2015,4,Only Watch 2017,2,Only Watch 2019,3,Only Watch 2021,4,Only Watch 2023,10,Oris,42,paillonne,1,Panerai,106,Parmigiani,14,Parmigiani Fleurier,33,Pascal Coyon,1,Patek,56,Patek Philippe,133,Pedrozo & Piriz,1,perpetual calendar,146,Perrelet,11,Petermann Bedat,3,Phenomen,1,Philippe Dufour,1,Phillips,10,Piaget,34,Pierre DeRoche,2,pilot watch,111,Pininfarina,1,Pisa,13,Pisa 1940,1,Pisa Circle,12,Pita,1,planetarium,2,platinum,7,pocket watch,3,pocket watches,2,Poehlmann-Bresan,2,Poincon de Geneve,2,Porsche Design,17,Pre-SIHH 2016: Cartier - Clé de Cartier Automatic Skeleton,1,pulsometer,5,Purnell,1,quartz,9,Rado,19,Ralf Tech,3,Ralph Lauren,2,rattrapante,23,Raul Pages,2,Raymond Weil,4,rectangular watches,16,reddot award,1,regatta,1,regulator,25,remontoire,5,Remy Cools,1,Renaud Tixier,1,Reservoir,2,resonance,21,Ressence,12,retrograde,10,Revelation,1,Reverso,26,review,119,RGM,1,RGM Watch Co.,1,Richard Mille,110,Richemont,4,Richmond,1,Roger Dubuis,11,Roger Smith,1,Roger W. Smith,1,Rolex,68,Romain Gauthier,12,Romain Jerome,1,Royal Oak,39,Rudis Sylva,1,sapphire,4,Schwarz Etienne,1,Seamaster,9,Seiko,41,SevenFriday,24,SIHH,3,SIHH 2012,4,SIHH 2013,25,SIHH 2014,36,SIHH 2015,43,SIHH 2016,44,SIHH 2017,41,SIHH 2018,43,SIHH 2019,53,Simon Brette,2,Singer,6,Singer Reimagined,10,single hand,27,single-hand watches,32,Sinn,16,skeleton,35,smartwatch,9,solar energy,1,Sotheby's,8,Speake Marin,6,Speake-Marin,6,Speedmaster,34,split seconds,22,sport,1,sport watches,930,sportwatches,1,Spring Drive,2,square watches,3,squelette,57,steampunk,1,Steinhart,1,Strehler,1,striking time,16,SuisseMecanica,1,sunrise,2,sunset,2,Swatch,8,Swatch Group,23,Sylvain Pinaud,2,table clocks,4,Tag Heuer,172,tantalum,1,technical insight,3,terra Cielo Mare,1,Theo Auffret,1,Tiffany,17,Tissot,8,titanium,8,top news,395,Torsti Laine,1,tourbillon,361,Trilobe,3,Tudor,35,Tulloch,1,Tutima,3,ultra thin,34,Ulysse Nardin,39,Unimatic,1,Union Glashutte,14,Universal Genève,1,Urban Jurgensen,29,Urwerk,22,Vacheron Constantin,80,Van Cleef & Arpels,7,Vauchier Fleurier,1,Vianney Halter,5,video,1,vintage watches,3,Vulcain,11,wandering hours,1,watches,1,Watches & Wonders,41,Watches & Wonders 2020,19,Watches & Wonders 2021,28,Watches & Wonders 2022,35,Watches & Wonders 2023,38,Watches & Wonders 2024,2,Watches&Wonders,5,WatchesandWonders2022,35,WatchesandWonders2023,39,WatchesandWonders2024,3,Wilhelm Schmid,1,Winnerl,1,worldtime,56,YEMA,4,Zannetti,1,Zeitwerk,2,Zeitwinkel,1,Zenith,110,Zodiac,9,
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Time and Watches | The watch blog: Auctions: Eisenhower’s Rolex on sale at an estimated $1 million value
Auctions: Eisenhower’s Rolex on sale at an estimated $1 million value
A valuable Rolex wristwatch owned by Dwight D. Eisenhower will be on sale for the first time in its history – valued at an estimated US$1 million – during a live auction event to be held on 17 September 2014 by Boston-based auction house RR Auction. Dating back to 1951, the yellow gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual DateJust reference 6305 on a matching Jubilee bracelet with deployment clasp was presented to General Eisenhower by Rolex to celebrate the production of their 150,000th watch to obtain ‘Official Chronometer’ certification (the 100,000th was given to Winston Churchill), and to recognise the general’s great achievements in World War II.
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