RICHEST TITANIC PASSENGER’S WATCH SOLD AT £1.17 MILLION

Sat 04 May 2024:

A gold watch found on the body of the richest passenger on the Titanic was auctioned in England for £1.17 million ($1.46 million) on Saturday.

It was a record sum for an object linked to the notorious 1912 shipping disaster, said auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son.

A US buyer won the bidding war, smashing the auctioneer’s pre-sale estimate of between £100,000 and £150,000.

The watch, engraved with the initials JJA, belonged to the US business magnate John Jacob Astor.

Astor was 47 when he died as the Titanic sank in the early hours of April 15, 1912. He was reputed to be one of the richest men in the world at the time.

He died after having helped his wife, Madeleine, on board one of the lifeboats. She survived the disaster.

Astor’s body was found a week after the disaster, with the watch among his personal belongings.

“The watch itself was completely restored after being returned to Colonel Astor’s family and worn by his son,” said a statement from the auction house.

About the pocket watch

Astor, who went down with the ship in 1912 was said to be one of the world’s richest men at the time. He was reputedly the richest man aboard the ship and a prominent member of the Astor family.

According to auctioneer Andrew Aldridge, Astor’s net worth was around $87 million, at the time, which would be equivalent to several billion dollars today.

Gold watch worn by richest passenger aboard Titanic to be sold at auction

“At first, Astor did not believe the ship was in any serious danger but later it was apparent she was sinking and the captain had started an evacuation after midnight, so he helped his wife into lifeboat 4,” said Aldridge.

Astor was reportedly last seen smoking a cigarette and talking to another passenger after he safely seated his pregnant second wife Madeleine into a lifeboat. She later survived.

The gold pocket watch has “JJA” engraved on it and was found when Astor’s body was recovered from the Atlantic Ocean seven days after the ship sank on its maiden voyage to New York.

Gold watch from Titanic's richest man sells for eye-watering amount at auction - Mirror Online

Notably, the watch was claimed by John’s son Vincent who then passed it on to the son of his father’s executive secretary, William Dobbyn.

“The watch itself was completely restored after being returned to Mr Astor’s family and worn by his son, making it a unique part of the Titanic story and one of the most important pieces of horological history relating to the most famous ship in the world,” said Aldridge.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

______________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22