An auction held at Henry Aldridge & Son in the UK saw a gold watch that belonged to John Jacob Astor, the wealthiest passenger on the Titanic, sell for 1.36 million euros. The sale exceeded the estimated value of between 120 thousand and 180 thousand euros. This amount surpassed the previous record set in 2013, when a violin from the sunken ship was sold for almost 1.3 million euros. Today, the case of that musical instrument was sold for 425,000 euros.
The golden timepiece, engraved with JJA initials, is a testament to the ongoing fascination with stories of Titanic passengers and their tragic fate. John Jacob Astor had a fortune of 87 million dollars at the time of his death in 1912, equivalent to several billion today. He tragically lost his life on the ship after helping his wife into a lifeboat and was later found dead with his personal effects including this historic artifact.
The sale of this unique item highlights how valuable relics from one of history’s most infamous tragedies can still be today.