Top Swiss court confirms Yoko Ono’s ownership of John Lennon’s watch
Yoko Ono is the owner of a watch given to her by John Lennon
Keystone-SDA
Select your language
Generated with artificial intelligence.
Listening: Top Swiss court confirms Yoko Ono’s ownership of John Lennon’s watch
Yoko Ono is the fully entitled owner of a watch given to John Lennon two months before his murder. The Swiss Federal Court has rejected an appeal by a collector against a decision by the Geneva court in 2023.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA
Deutsch
de
Yoko Ono ist Besitzerin einer John Lennon geschenkten Uhr
Original
The collector had acquired the watch ten years ago in Germany. For the Federal Court, there is no doubt that Yoko Ono, the widow of the ex-Beatle after his murder on December 8, 1980 by Mark David Chapman, is the rightful owner of the watch.
In its ruling, the Geneva court found that the watch had been stolen by one of Yoko Ono’s former chauffeurs. There was no indication that the Ono could have given the chauffeur such a personal object belonging to her husband.
More
More
John Lennon’s stolen watch found in Geneva
This content was published on
The mystery is solved: one of the most sought-after stolen watches in the world has turned up in Geneva.
As the watch had been stolen, the Federal Court ruled that the collector could not have legally obtained possession of it. According to the German law applicable in the specific case, the good faith of the buyer also plays no role, states the ruling published on Friday.
The watch, a Patek Philippe chronograph with a moon phase display, was purchased in New York in 1980. Yoko Ono had the words engraved on the back: “(JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER LOVE YOKO 10-9-1980 N.Y.C”. She gave the watch to John Lennon for his 40th birthday on October 9, 1980.
After the murder, the watch was kept in Ono’s apartment. It was listed in the musician’s estate. It later came into the hands of the man who had been Ono’s chauffeur between 1995 and 2005.
More
More
Yoko, an artist in her own-o right
This content was published on
Initially demonised by the mainstream, Yoko Ono is now feted as one of the most influential avant-garde artists of her time in a Swiss exhibition.
The watch was handed over by a third party to a German auction house for sale. The complainant bought it there in 2014 and then had it valued by a Geneva auction house. When Ono found out about this, she was unaware that the watch was no longer in her possession. When the collector filed a lawsuit to establish ownership, Ono contested it. The Geneva court of first instance and later the High Court of the Canton of Geneva found that Yoko Ono was the only legitimate owner.
Adapted from German by DeepL/ac
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, if you want to learn more about how we use technology, click here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
Popular Stories
More
Culture
Wealth is not all: how gentrification in Zurich has led to housing shortage
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
Job prospects remain good in Switzerland – apart from in Ticino
This content was published on
Employment prospects remain positive in Switzerland as a whole, but they are negative in southern Italian-speaking canton Ticino.
This content was published on
In an international comparison, Swiss adults perform above average in the basic skills of reading, everyday math and problem solving.
New carrier particle discovered for transporting drugs in body
This content was published on
Researchers at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich have discovered particles that can be used to deliver drugs precisely, for example to a cancerous tumour in the body.
Swiss parliament clears way for new start with e-ID
This content was published on
A new attempt to introduce electronic proof of identity has been made in Switzerland. The Senate has resolved the final differences in the legal provisions on a state e-ID.
Sixteen-day Swiss campaign against gender-based violence ends
This content was published on
The 16-day campaign against gender-based violence came to an end on Tuesday. Several hundred organizations mobilized across Switzerland during this period.
Swiss parliament wants CHF15 million for women’s Euro 2025
This content was published on
Parliament wants Switzerland to support next year's European Women's Football Championship with CHF15 million ($17 million).
Rare Roman coin auctioned for almost CHF2 million in Geneva
This content was published on
A rare Roman coin with a portrait of Brutus, the assassin of Julius Caesar, was sold at a Geneva auction on Monday for CHF1.89 million ($2.15 million), according to the organiser of the sale.
Swiss Senate approves federal budget without opposition
This content was published on
The Swiss army will receive an additional CHF530 million in 2025, and no cuts will be made to direct payments for agriculture. What is unclear is how much will be saved on foreign aid.
Swiss suspend decisions on asylum-seekers from Syria
This content was published on
Asylum procedures and decisions for asylum-seekers from Syria will be suspended with immediate effect until the situation can be reassessed, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) said.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.