The watch fetched over £1.8 million (approximately €2 million) at auction. Prior estimates suggested it would sell for around £1 million (€1.13 million), according to Henry Aldridge and Son Auctioneers.
This 18-carat gold pocket watch, made by Jules Jurgensen, belonged to Isidor Straus, a German-born American businessman and co-founder of the Macy’s department store chain. Straus tragically lost his life in April 1912 when the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank. His wife, Ida, and 1,500 other passengers also perished in the disaster.
Just days after the tragedy, Straus’s body was recovered, and the pocket watch was found among his belongings. The watch had stopped at 2:20 AM, the exact time the ship sank. Ida’s body was never found.
The watch later passed down through family members. Straus received it for his 43rd birthday in 1888, the same year he became a partner at Macy’s in New York City. A great-grandson ultimately decided to sell the timepiece.
When offered a place on a lifeboat due to his age, Straus refused to take priority over other men, as reported by BBC News. His wife did not want to leave him behind. The couple was last seen alive sitting together on deck chairs.
They were among the few first-class passengers who lost their lives in the disaster. In the iconic film about the sinking, the couple is depicted in a scene holding each other in bed as the ship goes down.
In addition to the watch, a letter from Straus’s wife was also auctioned, fetching £100,000 (€113,000). The letter was written on Titanic stationery.
