KNUTE ROCKNE'S NOTRE DAME 14K GOLD POCKET WATCH PRESENTED JUNE 14, 1924 TO HONOR HIS DEDICATION AS FOOTBALL COACH AND ATHLETIC DIRECTOR (EVENT DOCUMENTED IN STUDENT NEWSPAPER)

Knute Rockne grew up in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood where he learned to love the game of football. With no professional leagues in operation at the time, Rockne dreamed of going to Notre Dame, whose athletic program included football. After scraping together enough money working for the U.S. Post Office, Rockne entered Notre Dame at the age of 22. Rockne quickly became an important part of the Fighting Irish football squad. An innovator as well as an All-American talent, Rockne invented the forward pass, a play that gave the game a new energy and changed the way it was played forever. After Rockne graduated in 1914 he spent a few years playing in the newly formed professional football leagues, before he returned to Notre Dame as their football coach.

During his 13 years at the head of the Fighting Irish, Rockne’s boys posted five undefeated seasons as well as three national championships. His teams won an incredible 105 games against just 16 losses and his .881 winning percentage has never been beaten. This winning culture and the way Rockne's players conducted themselves on the field brought the university a whole new level of respect, and soon it became every boy’s dream to play ball in South Bend, Ind.

Rockne’s dedication to Notre Dame was illustrated in 1924 when he rebuffed all attempts to lure him away, instead signing an unheard of ten-year athletic director contract. The esteem with which the student body held Knute Rockne was demonstrated on June 14th, 1924 when they presented the coach with this gold watch. The June 15 edition of the Notre Dame Daily featured an article about the previous evening’s ceremony, saying that “Donald Gallagher, president of the Senior Class, made the presentation and he emphasized the motives of gratitude which prompted the various organizations of the student body to honor Coach Rockne in this manner.” Unfortunately, a plane crash in the winter of 1931 precluded Knute Rockne from fulfilling his 10-year promise to Notre Dame. Yet, despite his loss, his name remains synonymous with college football excellence and just the mere mention of “Knute Rockne” brings to mind the university he dreamed of playing for as a boy.

This Chesterfield model pocket watch was made by the South Bend Watch Company and is marked as such inside the back cover. The panel has been engraved with “To Coach Knute K. Rockne from The Undergraduate Body Notre Dame June 14th, 1924” in an elegant script. Both hands are present as images show. (It should be noted that this watch was previously listed by a different auction house who failed to separate the minute and hour hands from overlapping, thus making it appear that the hour hand was missing. Whoops! They also did not mention the news article. Double Whoops!) The watch is still in working condition (ticks when wound) and shows evidence of wear from Rockne’s prideful use. There is some discoloring around the :20 and :25 minute markers. This marvelous piece of college football history is a poignant symbol of the warmth and admiration the students of Notre Dame had for Knute Rockne.