The 14-karat gold pocket watch that once belonged to John Jacob Astor IVconsidered the wealthiest passenger in the Titanicwas sold this weekend for almost $1.5 million in a record auction, according to the auction house. Henry Aldridge and Son in WiltshireEngland.
As reported by the auction house Henry Aldridge & Sonthe bid for the 14-karat gold watch began on Saturday, April 27, 2024 with a starting bid of $74,900, extending to the final price that was close to 1.5 million dollarssurpassing the previous record of £1.1 million paid for one of the violins which was touched while the ship was sinking, also sold by Henry Aldridge & Son in 2013, confirmed FOXBusiness.
According to Andrew Aldridge from the auction house, the importance of these objects lies in “the artifacts themselves and their rarity,” but also in “the enduring fascination with the history of the Titanic”. This shows that, more than a century later, the tragedy of the world’s most famous ship and the 2,200 individual stories continue to captivate the public’s attention and interest.
Astorwho died in the tragic sinking of the liner in 1912, was known for being one of the richest men of his time with a fortune estimated at 87 million dollars (equivalent to several billion today), according to historical records cited by the newspaper British The Guardian.
Besides, Astor owned a lineage of considerable reputationbeing the great-grandson of John Jacob Astor, a fur trader who, at his death in 1848, was among the wealthiest men in the United States. This part of the family narrative was recently examined in the 2023 book “Astor: Rise and Decline of an American Fortune,” written by Anderson Cooper and the historian Katherine Howe.
As a business magnate, real estate developer, investor and writercontributed significantly to the development of NYbeing founder of Hotel St. Regiswhich remains standing today. Astorwho also served as a lieutenant colonel in the Spanish American Waris remembered not only for his tragic death but for his innovative proposal for an early air conditioning system in your hotel, ahead of your time in terms of comfort and technology.
At the time of the disaster, Astor he was traveling with his wife Madeleinewhom she had married on September 11, 1911, in a relationship that sparked controversy given the age difference (he in his forties and she was 18 years old) and the magnate’s wealth.
The couple returned to the United States of their extended honeymoon Europe and Egypt when he Titanic crashed into an iceberg on April 14, 1912. The tragic nightafter unsuccessfully asking to get into a lifeboat with his wife given his “delicate condition,” Astor He remained on the ship, where he eventually lost his life along with more than 1,500 people, but first he made sure that his new wife, Madeleine, will embark on a lifeboat.
The pocket watch, a 14-karat gold piece with the initials JJA engravedwas discovered among the belongings of Astor when his body was recovered from the Atlantic seven days after the disaster.
Other personal items such as a diamond ring, gold and diamond cufflinks, and a significant sum of cash were also found. “The watch itself was fully restored after being returned to the Astor family and worn by their son, making it a unique part of Titanic history. and one of the most important pieces of horological history related to the most famous ship in the world,” commented the auction house.
His generosity and final composure, including a final visual record of him smoking a cigarette and chatting quietly, were immortalized in accounts of the sinking. But the history of the clock did not end with the death of Astor. In accordance with CBSNews, This was inherited by the son of Astor, Vincentto the son of his father’s executive secretary, William Dobbyn.
The auction of objects of Titanic continues to capture global attention. Not only watches but also photographs and menus that have reached significant figures in recent sales, evidencing the enduring interest and fascination with everything related to the tragic fate of the Titanic.
