On April 27, a gold watch with the initials JJA engraved on it was sold in England for £1.17 million ($1.46 million), according to a report by AFP. This marked the highest sum ever paid for an item linked to the tragic 1912 shipwreck of the Titanic. The auctioneers, Henry Aldridge & Son, had estimated that the watch would sell between £100,000 and £150,000. However, a buyer from the United States emerged victorious in a bidding war and took home the prize.
The watch belonged to John Jacob Astor IV, an American tycoon who was 47 years old when he perished as the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912. Known as one of the wealthiest individuals in the world at that time, Astor lost his life after helping his wife Madeleine onto a lifeboat while assisting her into it. Unfortunately, she survived while he did not. His body was discovered a week later among his personal effects on board shipwrecked vessel.
After recovery and restoration of the watch, it was worn by Astor’s son for some time before being sold at auction. According to a statement from Henry Aldridge & Son cited by AFP
