Posted on 11/16/2024 1:48:40 PM PST by nickcarraway
Switzerland's Supreme Court has ruled that Yoko Ono is the rightful owner of a watch she gifted John Lennon in 1980, two months before he was assassinated outside his home in New York City.
For his birthday that year, Ono had given her husband a very rare Patek Philippe 2499 watch. At the time, Ono paid around $25,000 at Tiffany — roughly $100,000 today. On the back of it was an inscription: "(JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER, LOVE YOKO. 10 • 9 • 1980. N. Y. C."
Following Lennon's death, Ono locked the watch away in the couple's apartment, where it sat for several decades. In 2007, a one-time employee of Ono and Lennon's named Koral Karsan was charged with grand larceny following Ono's accusations that he blackmailed her. Karsan was sent back to his home country of Turkey, reportedly taking many valuable items from the home with him.
Some of those items eventually turned up, but not the Patek Philippe 2499, which is estimated to be worth millions.
"He took advantage of a widow at a vulnerable time," Sean Lennon told The New Yorker earlier this year. "Of all the incidents of people stealing things from my parents, this one is the most painful."
The Court's Ruling In part thanks to reporting done by The New Yorker, the watch was eventually traced through multiple European auctions to the hands of an unidentified man who claimed that he bought the watch legally in 2014.
Despite this, Switzerland's Supreme Court has now ruled that the watch belongs to Ono as it was originally taken from her illegally, stating that "there was no evidence to show that Yoko Ono intended to donate to the driver something as special as the watch."
Imagine no possessions
Well, except for this one watch...
Yoko Ono was reported singing the Rolling Stones song, “Time is on my Side” after the ruling.
Even to this day, when I look at her I say Ono.
Oh No!
Good on you Yoko.
Rumor is her real name is Yoko Yashimoto but she took on the name Ono as a result of her experiences participating in the recording sessions late in the Beatles career.
When Lennon would walk into the studio someone would say, “here comes John with Yoko,” and everyone would say, “Oh-no!!!”
She did do a great cover of Billy Joel’s “Big Shot”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03K4J_nstcI
If you ever get really angry with yourself because you did something really stupid just remember- these people actually bought tickets to sit through this:
Yoko Ono and John Zorn: Improvisation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJl06nxPub8
Did she and Doris Day ever do a duet?
Yes that one!
She had the flip-side of “Starting Over”, and I used that horrible record to get a lingerer to leave the Pizza Hut I worked in after closing time. As effective as the Barry Manilow marathon was on youths. Actually, even more potent.
Speaking of this day has anyone else noticed the “Ballad of John and Yoko” in the Chase Bank commercials?
John Lennon was just another champagne socialist.
I never heard her sing. After watching that video, I still haven’t heard her sing.
Amazing the Beatles lasted as long as they did.
My hats off to the other 3 that endured that universal buzzkill on life.
First time I have heard that one, I am totally stealing it.
Blame Ono but she was clear that John chased her and brought her into everything.
Not by 1980.
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