Titanic's wealthiest passenger's gold pocket watch sells for record £1.17 million at auction

At an auction event in England, a gold watch once owned by John Jacob Astor, the wealthiest passenger aboard the Titanic, has fetched an astonishing £1.17 million ($1.46 million). The auction, conducted by Henry Aldridge & Son, marked the highest amount ever paid for an item linked to the tragic sinking of the

Titanic in 1912.

The winning bid, made by an American buyer, far exceeded the auctioneer's initial estimate of £100,000 to £150,000. The watch, with the engraved initials "JJA," was a personal possession of the prominent American businessman Astor, who lost his life at the age of 47 in the Titanic disaster. Astor, known as one of the world's wealthiest individuals, ensured his wife, Madeleine, boarded a lifeboat before succumbing to the icy waters of the North Atlantic.

A statement from the auction house revealed that the watch, discovered among Astor's belongings after his body was recovered a week after the tragedy, was completely restored and later worn by his son.

The auction, held in Devizes, featured over 280 lots related to ocean liners, including two significant items from the Titanic's history. One such item was a violin case that belonged to the orchestra leader, who famously continued to play as the ship sank. The case sold for £290,000, with the final price, including taxes and fees, reaching £366,000, as reported by the BBC.

The Titanic's tragic journey began in Southampton, with New York City as its intended destination. However, on the night of April 14, 1912, disaster struck as the ship collided with an iceberg, resulting in the loss of more than 1,500 lives.