Record-breaking Sale of Titanic’s Gold Watch Sheds Light on Enduring Fascination with the Ship’s Past

The wealthiest passenger on the Titanic’s gold watch has been sold at an auction in the UK for a record-breaking 1.36 million euros. The auction, held at Henry Aldridge & Son, saw an American buyer win the bid, surpassing the estimated value of the watch, which was between 120 thousand and 180 thousand euros.

This sale of a historic artifact from the sunken ship exceeded the previous record set in 2013 for a violin that was sold for almost 1.3 million euros. Today, the case of that musical instrument was sold for just 425,000 euros. The gold watch, engraved with JJA initials, belonged to American businessman John Jacob Astor IV who was one of the richest men in America during his time aboard Titanic and tragically lost his life in its sinking in 1912 after helping his wife into a lifeboat.

The sale of this item highlights the enduring fascination with Titanic and its passengers’ stories, with many people drawn to owning a piece of history from this ill-fated voyage.