On April 27, a gold watch that belonged to the wealthiest passenger aboard the Titanic was recently sold for £1.17 million ($1.46 million) in England, according to a report by AFP. This marked a record for the highest sum paid for an item connected to the tragic 1912 shipwreck, as announced by auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son.
The watch had the initials JJA engraved on it and belonged to American tycoon John Jacob Astor. At 47 years old, Astor was one of the wealthiest individuals in the world during that period when he tragically lost his life as the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912. He assisted his wife, Madeleine, onto a lifeboat before succumbing to hypothermia in freezing waters. Despite his unfortunate demise, Madeleine survived the disaster and later discovered her husband’s body a week later with his prized possession among his personal effects.
After its recovery, the watch was fully restored and subsequently worn by Astor’s son until it was put up for auction at Henry Aldridge & Son where it attracted multiple bidders from around the world before finally being sold to a buyer from the United States who emerged victorious in the bidding war.