The Titanic continues to unravel stories, memories, and treasures. Now, a gold pocket watch recovered from the body of Isidor Straus, one of the wealthiest passengers aboard the Titanic, has been found. The watch fetched a record price of US$2.33 million at auction. Interestingly, the 18-karat gold pocket watch stopped the moment the Titanic sank.
The watch that had remained in the Straus family was sold at the Henry Aldridge and Son auction house in Devizes
Isidor Straus and his wife Ida were among the more than 1,500 people who died when the ship sailing from Southampton, England, to New York sank after striking an iceberg on April 14, 1912. Now, the watch that had remained in the Straus family was sold at the Henry Aldridge and Son auction house in Devizes, Wiltshire, in western England. The watch’s owner’s body was recovered from the Atlantic Ocean days after the disaster, and among his personal belongings was an 18-karat gold Jules Jurgensen pocket watch. Straus was a Bavarian-born American businessman, politician, and co-owner of Macy’s department store in New York.
The auction also included a letter written by Ida Straus on Titanic letterhead, which sold for approximately $131,000
As mentioned above, Straus had been a prominent New York businessman and politician. On the night of the sinking, his wife, Ida, reportedly refused to board a lifeboat to accompany her husband, preferring to remain by his side until the end. The auction also included a letter written by Ida Straus on Titanic letterhead, which sold for approximately $131,000. The tycoon’s wife’s body was never recovered. Interestingly, another striking feature of the watch was that it had stopped at 2:20 a.m., the exact moment the Titanic sank into the Atlantic. The total proceeds from the Titanic-related items amounted to approximately $3.3 million.
The price reflects the enduring fascination with the Titanic, and he asserts that the watch’s “world record price”
Based on available information, it is believed that Ida gave the pocket watch to Isidor for his 43rd birthday in 1888. Found among his belongings, it was returned to his family and passed down through generations until Kenneth Hollister Straus, Isidor’s great-grandson, had the mechanism repaired and restored. According to auctioneer Andrew Aldridge, the price reflects the enduring fascination with the Titanic, and he asserts that the watch’s “world record price” illustrates the lasting interest in the Titanic’s story.
“The Strauss were the ultimate love story, with Ida refusing to abandon her husband of 41 years as the Titanic sank”
This story is especially interesting because, according to available information, the lifeboats were primarily directed to the wealthier classes traveling on the Titanic, with priority given to women and children. Thus, it is believed that they were among the few first-class passengers who perished in the sinking, as they had the option of boarding the lifeboats. “The Strauss were the ultimate love story, with Ida refusing to abandon her husband of 41 years as the Titanic sank, and this world record price is a testament to the respect they command,” said Andrew Aldridge.
The story of the Titanic continues to fascinate because of the monumental tragedy that marked the 20th century, as well as the details that are still emerging today. Among the most curious accounts from that fateful day is the fact that the orchestra continued playing even as the ship was practically vertical and began to sink. In fact, some video recordings of survivors ask them if this was real or just an anecdote. The survivors maintain that they heard the music until they saw the Titanic sink completely. With the end of the music came silence, and with the sinking, the lights of the vessel gave way to profound darkness.