On the 27th (local time), Bloomberg reported that a gold watch salvaged from the Titanic, the luxurious passenger ship that sank in 1912, was auctioned off for £1,175 million (€1,38 million, $1,46 million).
The watch, worn by the late American magnate John Jacob Astor IV at the time of the sinking, was sold at an auction hosted by the British auction house Henry Aldridge and Son for £1.17 million. This far exceeded the expected auction price of £100,000 to 150,000.
Astor IV was known as the wealthiest passenger aboard the Titanic. The watch engraved with the initials JJA was found seven days after the Titanic sank, along with other personal belongings recovered from the body.
Bloomberg reported that the watch fetched the highest price of any item salvaged from the Titanic. Recently, the most expensive item was a violin known to have been played as the ship was submerging, which sold at auction in 2013 for 1.1 million pounds.
The auction house stated that this watch auction not only showcases the rarity of the artifact itself but also the allure of the Titanic narrative. Even after 112 years, we still talk about the ship, its passengers, and crew.”
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