Did 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 o
