Wealthiest Titanic Passenger’s Gold Watch Sells for $1.46 Million

A record sum was achieved for an item associated with the infamous 1912 shipping disaster, as announced by the auctioneers, Henry Aldridge & Son. The bidding war was won by a US buyer, surpassing the auctioneer’s initial estimate of £100,000 to £150,000.

The watch, bearing the initials JJA, belonged to the American business magnate John Jacob Astor, who was 47 years old when he perished in the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912. At the time of his death, Astor was known as one of the wealthiest individuals in the world.

He tragically passed away after assisting his wife, Madeleine, onto one of the lifeboats. Madeleine survived the disaster, while Astor’s body was recovered a week later, with the watch among his personal effects.

The auction house stated that the watch had been completely restored after being returned to Colonel Astor’s family and was subsequently worn by his son. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)