Missing since 1987, the watch once carried by Roosevelt during the Spanish-American War has been retrieved from a Florida auction house and returned to the National Park Service.
A Presidential Artifact Missing for 36 Years Suddenly Reappears
When the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site in Buffalo placed one of Roosevelt’s personal pocket watches on display in 1971, it became a visitor favorite, a small but intimate window into the former president’s life. But in 1987, during a routine exhibition, someone quietly lifted the watch from an unlocked display case. Despite investigations, it vanished without a trace.
That changed recently, when the watch surfaced at a Florida auction house. Its recovery involved a collaboration between the National Park Service (NPS) and the FBI, ending a decades-long mystery that both museum officials and Roosevelt’s family had long believed might never be solved.
“This was feel-good news,” said Tweed Roosevelt, the president’s 82-year-old great-grandson. “For me, it kind of felt like almost as if a piece of TR’s spirit being returned to Sagamore Hill, like a little bit of him was coming back.”
How the Stolen Watch Ended Up in a Florida Auction House
More than 30 years after its disappearance, the watch found its way into the hands of Edwin Bailey, owner of Blackwell Auctions in Clearwater, Florida. Bailey noticed the inscription bearing Theodore Roosevelt’s name but had no supporting documents, so he began researching the watch’s history.
His first step was contacting the two Roosevelt-related museums: Sagamore Hill National Historic Site in Oyster Bay, New York, Roosevelt’s longtime home, and the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site in Buffalo. Both institutions confirmed the watch appeared authentic.
As Bailey prepared to put it up for auction in 2023, several visitors arrived at the showroom. He assumed they were interested buyers. Instead, they were FBI agents from the Art Crime Team.
The FBI and NPS had been searching for the stolen watch for decades. Once recovered, it was transferred back to Sagamore Hill, where it will be displayed securely.
Why the Watch Mattered So Much to Theodore Roosevelt
Though not an expensive piece, the pocket watch held deep sentimental value for Roosevelt. It was a gift from his sister, Corinne Roosevelt Robinson, and her husband, Douglas Robinson Jr., delivered just before Roosevelt shipped out to Cuba in 1898 to fight in the Spanish-American War as leader of the Rough Riders.
“Darling Corinne, You could not have given me a more useful present than the watch,” Roosevelt wrote to his sister in May 1898. “It was exactly what I wished… Thank old Douglas for the watch, and for his many, many kindnesses.”
The watch accompanied Roosevelt into battle and, historians believe, later on his expeditions to Africa and the Amazon. Though modest in cost, it served as a faithful personal item during pivotal chapters of his life, a companion during war, exploration, and political ascent.
Special Agent Robert Giczy of the FBI Art Crime Team described the object in technical terms: “This watch was a fairly pedestrian Waltham 17 jewel watch with an inexpensive coin silver case. It’s a ‘Riverside’ grade and model ‘1888’ with a hunter-style case, meaning it has a lid on either side which fold and encase the dial and the movement.”
Its simplicity was precisely why it mattered. Roosevelt valued usefulness over ornament, and this watch, practical, durable, dependable, suited him perfectly.
A Relic That Traveled Through American History
Sagamore Hill superintendent Jonathan Parker emphasized the broader historical significance of its return. “The stories this watch could tell over the last 126 years include colorful and profound moments in American history,” he said.
By accompanying Roosevelt during the Spanish-American War and likely during his later expeditions, the watch witnessed transformative events that shaped both the man and the nation. As Parker noted, “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.”
After its theft in 1987, many feared the watch had disappeared into private collections or been dismantled for parts, a common fate for stolen historical items. Its unexpected reappearance, in good condition and ready for conservation, astonished both museum staff and Roosevelt’s family.
Returning the Watch to Public View
The recovered watch is now back at Sagamore Hill, where the National Park Service is preparing it for permanent public exhibition. Its return also allows curators to reconnect it with Roosevelt’s personal items and letters, including correspondence referencing the watch itself.
For decades, visitors asked about the missing piece, and staff could only share its disappearance. Now, nearly 40 years after the public last saw it, the watch will once again be part of Roosevelt’s story, a tangible reminder of the man behind the presidency.
Tweed Roosevelt reflected on the emotional weight of the moment: “It kind of felt like almost as if a piece of TR’s spirit [was] being returned to Sagamore Hill.”
What was once a simple wartime gift to a future president has now become a recovered national treasure, bridging the distance between Roosevelt’s era and the present in a way few artifacts can.
Featured Image from: English: NPS Photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons