A gold pocket watch that stopped at the exact moment the RMS Titanic sank has been sold at auction for a staggering £1.78 million, setting a new record for memorabilia from the ill-fated liner.
The timepiece, owned by first-class passenger and Macy's co-owner Isidor Straus, froze at 2.20am on April 14, 1912, as the vessel flooded and slipped beneath the Atlantic waves. The sale took place on Saturday at the auction house of Henry Aldridge and Son in Devizes, Wiltshire.
The Tragic Story of the Straus Couple
The watch's owner, Isidor Straus, and his wife, Ida, were among the most celebrated victims of the disaster. They famously refused to be separated as the ship went down. Ida Straus was offered a place on Lifeboat 8 but declined, choosing to stay with her husband.
Their great-great-granddaughter, Jessica Straus, recounted the poignant moment to the Titanic museum in Belfast: ‘Ida would not go without her husband. Isidor was offered a place on another lifeboat but he chose not to go without her. He begged her to get on and she turned and said to him, ‘Isidor we have been together for all these years. Where you go, I go.'
While the 1997 film Titanic depicted them holding each other in bed, they were last seen in reality sitting arm-in-arm on deck chairs. Isidor's body was later recovered, along with the watch, which was returned to his family. Ida's body was never found.
A Priceless Piece of History
The 18 carat Jules Jurgensen pocket watch was a 43rd birthday gift from Ida to her husband, engraved with his initials. It had been carefully preserved by the Straus family for generations. Isidor's great-grandson, Kenneth Hollister Straus, eventually had the watch's movement restored and repaired.
The disaster unfolded less than three hours after the ‘unsinkable’ ship struck a huge iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. The tragedy claimed the lives of more than 1,500 people.
Other Titanic Items Fetch High Prices
The auction also featured a letter written by Ida Straus on Titanic stationery, which sold for £100,000. In the letter, posted from the ship, she marvelled at its luxury but also referenced a near-collision with the SS New York as it left Southampton.
She wrote: ‘What a ship! So huge and so magnificently appointed.’ However, she added, ‘Size seems to bring its troubles,’ alluding to the incident.
This record-breaking sale surpasses the previous highest price for a Titanic artefact, which was another gold pocket watch that sold for £1.56 million. That watch had belonged to the captain of the Carpathia, the ship that rescued over 700 survivors.
