Titanic passenger and millionaire John Jacob Astor’s gold pocket watch fetched a record price at an auction in Britain on Saturday. A private collector from the US paid 1.175 million pounds (about 1.4 million euros) for it.
According to auction house Henry Aldridge & Son, based in the English county of Wiltshire, the watch is the most valuable ‘Titanic’ souvenir ever auctioned. Previously this title was held by a violin that was played during the sinking and sold at the same auction house in 2013 for £1.1 million.
Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge described the prices achieved for ‘Titanic’ memorabilia as ‘absolutely incredible’. They reflected not only the meaning of the objects themselves, but also an ongoing fascination with the ship that sank in 1912.
Astor, believed to be the wealthiest passenger on board, was last seen smoking a cigarette as the ship began sinking in the North Atlantic Ocean after colliding with an iceberg.
He had previously helped his wife Madeleine onto a lifeboat. She survived. His dead body was later recovered from the water along with his pocket watch.
Source: Krone
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