Theodore Roosevelt’s Stolen Watch Winds Its Way Home
It has been returned to the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site in New York nearly 40 years after being taken while on loan to a Buffalo museum.

Taken while on loan for a museum exhibition, the watch eventually found its way from New York to a Florida auction house, where an auctioneer’s suspicion that the piece may be connected to the 26th president of the United States led him to research its origin.
NPS special agents, with assistance from the FBI Art Crime team, were tapped to recover the artifact after two historic sites connected to the former president’s estate confirmed its authenticity.
A repatriation ceremony took place June 27 in New York to officially mark the return of the timepiece to Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, where it had been since Roosevelt’s death in 1919.
Located on New York’s Long Island in the town of Oyster Bay, Sagamore Hill was Roosevelt’s home and was known as the “Summer White House” for the summers he spent there while president from 1901 to 1909.
The watch will be on display in a special exhibit at the historic site, free for public viewing for the next three months.
It was last on public display at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site in Buffalo, New York.
Sagamore Hill had loaned the timepiece to the museum for an exhibition.
On July 21, 1987, the FBI reported the pocket watch had been stolen.

No suspects were arrested in connection with the theft, and the watch’s whereabouts were unknown for decades until it reappeared at an auction house in Florida last year, NPS said.
The auctioneer thought the 1800s pocket watch may have belonged to Roosevelt, who had many pocket watches during his life.
According to the NPS, this particular timepiece was a gift from his youngest sister, Corinne Roosevelt Robinson, and his brother-in-law, Douglas Robinson Jr., in 1898, ahead of his departure to fight in the Spanish-American War.
The Waltham-manufactured pocket watch bears an inscription reading, “THEODORE ROOSEVELT FROM D.R. & C.R.R,” as seen in the photo at the top of the article.
On May 5, 1898, Roosevelt wrote to his sister, “Darling Corinne, You could not have given me a more useful present than the watch; it was exactly what I wished … Thank old Douglas for the watch – and for his many, many kindnesses.”
The watch accompanied Roosevelt, a lieutenant colonel, as he led the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry and was with him during his charge up San Juan Hill in Cuba and while hunting in Africa.
Roosevelt mentioned the watch while detailing a difficult bayou crossing in his 1914 book, “Through the Brazilian Wilderness,” writing, “One result of the swim, by the way, was that my watch, a veteran of Cuba and Africa, came to an indignant halt.”
The timepiece was repaired following Roosevelt’s overseas adventures, and NPS said it likely went on to accompany him throughout portions of his presidency, including his two inaugurations.

FBI Special Agent Robert Giczy, a member of the FBI Art Crime Team who investigated the provenance of the watch, described the timepiece as a “fairly pedestrian” Waltham 17-jewel watch with an inexpensive coin silver case.
It is a “Riverside” grade, model 1888 with a hunter-style case, meaning it has a lid on either side which fold and encase the dial and the movement.
Giczy praised the NPS, saying the agency does a “great job in enforcing and recovering our national property.”
“The repatriation of the watch would not have been possible without the close collaboration between the FBI and NPS. This partnership ensured that this historic treasure could be returned safely for future generations to enjoy,” he said.
The June 27 repatriation ceremony was attended by NPS Director Chuck Sams, members of the Roosevelt family, and representatives from the NPS, as well as representatives from the FBI, including the New York, Miami, and Tampa field offices and members of the Art Crime team.
“It is an honor to have a role in preserving American history for current and future generations to learn from,” Sams said, according to NPS.
“Recovering and returning this remarkable piece of presidential history, a cherished personal item of President Theodore Roosevelt, to its rightful home here at Sagamore Hill reflects the dedication and hard work of NPS and partners in the spirit of preservation.”

The watch will be featured in an exclusive exhibit at the Old Orchard Museum, part of Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, and available for free public viewing over the next three months.
It is one of thousands of items originally gifted to the NPS by the Roosevelt family through the Theodore Roosevelt Association in 1963 and will remain part of the permanent museum collection.
“The stories this watch could tell over the last 126 years include colorful and profound moments in American history,” said Jonathan Parker, superintendent of Sagamore Hill National Historic Site.
“Historic objects are powerful because they are literal participants in historic events, and in the case of this storied watch, it is also a beloved family heirloom of a renowned American president. Almost 40 years have passed since the public had last seen President Roosevelt’s watch, and we’re excited to place this watch back into the light on public display.”
The Latest

This year’s honorees include a Midwest retailer and two multi-store independents, one in New York and the other in New England.

As an homage to iconic crochet blankets, the necklace features the nostalgic motif through a kaleidoscope of cabochon-cut stones.

Discover the dozen up-and-coming brands exhibiting in the Design Atelier for the first time.

When investing in your jewelry business, it's important not to overlook the most crucial element of success: the sales associates.

The “Royal Ruby” Collection is a quintet of untreated rubies curated by collector Jack Abraham.


The entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star will share his top tips for success.

Two existing executives have been given new roles.

More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.

Meredith Tiderington, an electrical engineering student, was selected for the award.

It will quit assigning the stones specific color and clarity grades in favor of applying “new descriptive terminology.”

From design trends to sustainability, here’s a roundup of can’t-miss education sessions at JCK Las Vegas.

Her new role is director of strategic initiatives.

The designer is embracing bold pieces with weight to them in “AU79,” a collection she celebrated with a creative launch party.

On an earnings call, CEO J.K. Symancyk discussed what’s working for the company and how it’s preparing for the potential impact of tariffs.

The index partially rebounded after months of decline, due in part to the U.S.-China deal to temporarily reduce import tariffs.

The actress stars in the latest campaign set in Venice, Italy, and is set to participate in other creative initiatives for the jeweler.

The company has joined other labs, including GIA and Lotus Gemology, in adopting the Chinese term for "jadeite jade."

The large stone will be offered at its June sale along with a selection of secondary-type rubies from a new area of the Montepuez mine.

Located in Bangkok, the laboratory is Gemological Science International’s 14th location worldwide.

Those born in June have a myriad of options for their birthstone jewelry.

The diamond industry veteran has been named its senior sales executive.

The company plans to raise the prices of select watches to offset the impact of tariffs.

Between tariffs and the sky-high cost of gold, designers enter this year’s Las Vegas shows with a lot of questions and few answers.

Designed by founder Renato and his daughter Serena Cipullo, it showcases a flame motif representing unity and the power of gathering.

However, the tariffs remain in effect in the short term, as an appeals court has stayed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s decision.

The pop icon is one step closer to launching her “B Tiny” jewelry collection, a collection she first began posting about last fall.

Sponsored by Stuller