A piece of history, forever etched in time and tragedy, has just been sold for a record-breaking sum. A gold pocket watch, once belonging to John Jacob Astor IV, the wealthiest passenger aboard the doomed Titanic, has fetched a staggering $1.46 million at an auction in the UK.
Time stands still and fetches a record price!
Engraved with the initials “JJA,” the watch wasn’t just a timepiece; it was a silent witness to the final moments of one of the most infamous maritime disasters in history. Astor, a prominent American businessman, tragically perished when the Titanic sank in the icy waters of the North Atlantic in 1912.
The bidding war for this piece of Titanic history surpassed all expectations. Auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son initially estimated the watch to sell for a sum between £100,000 and £150,000 – a figure dwarfed by the final winning bid submitted by an anonymous American buyer.
Recovered from Astor’s body after the disaster, the watch serves as a poignant reminder of the lives lost on that fateful night. Restored and cherished by Astor’s son, the watch now continues its journey, finding a new home for a record-breaking price.
Also read: Original Handwritten Apple-1 Computer Advertisement By Steve Jobs Sells For Rs.53 Million At Auction
This isn’t the first time Titanic memorabilia has garnered significant interest at auction. Last year, the same auction house saw a pocket watch belonging to another passenger, Sinai Kantor, sell for nearly $120,000. Additionally, a first-class dinner menu from the ship’s final voyage fetched a cool $100,000.
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