Gold pocket watch found on richest Titanic passenger sells for record $1.5 million
- The gold pocket watch was found on a Titanic passenger
- John Jacob Astor IV, once called the richest man in the world. owned the watch
- It sold for $1.5 million in England
Published on Apr 30, 2024 at 12:12 PM (UTC+4)
by Siddharth Dudeja
Last updated on Apr 30, 2024 at 5:56 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
A gold pocket watch once owned by one of the wealthiest passengers aboard the Titanic just sold for a staggering price.
The exquisite pocket watch received the highest bid at an auction, changing hands for a whopping $1.5 million.
Several pieces of Titanic memorabilia have been sold for extremely high prices, but this set a new record.
More than a century after the tragic sinking of the Titanic, remnants and findings of the ship are highly sought after.
Why wouldn’t they be? The transatlantic liner is now an iconic part of history.
Some – like this one billionaire – are even interested in creating an exact replica of the Titanic called Titanic II.
That’s one way to spend your money, but don’t tempt fate too much.
This 14-carat gold pocket watch, in particular, belonged to John Jacob Astor IV, who was 47 when he booked a suite on the ship.
Now, it isn’t a timepiece from the 2024 Rolex collection, but it has a great deal of value to it.
The watch wasn’t the only thing found on his body, but there were other valuable artifacts too.
For instance, he had a diamond ring, cufflinks, and money from 1912.
While he didn’t survive, he saw his new wife Madeleine aboard a lifeboat.
Astor wasn’t just another wealthy businessman — he was once considered the richest man in the world.
A US-based private collector is now the new owner of the watch after winning it when it went under the hammer.
Interestingly, this old watch from 1912 holds the same value as a luxury watch worn by billionaires today.
The auction house, Henry Aldridge & Son in Wiltshire, England, mentioned it was a ‘world record.’
The previous record for a Titanic artifact was around $1.38 million, held by a violin that was played as the ship sank.
It was also sold by the same auction house back in 2013.
Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge told the PA news agency about how high the prices can go for artifacts linked to the ship.
“They reflect not only the importance of the artifacts themselves and their rarity but they also show the enduring appeal and fascination with the Titanic story,” Aldridge mentioned.
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