Titanic Traveler’s Pocket Watch Sold for More Than $2 Million
A gold pocket watch previously owned by one of the Titanic’s most notable passengers has recently been auctioned for £1.78 million ($2.3 million) at Henry Aldridge & Son Ltd. The 18-carat gold Jules Jurgensen watch was owned by Isidor Straus, an American entrepreneur, politician, and proprietor of the Macy’s department store in New York. Presented to him by his cherished wife, Ida, on his 43rd birthday in 1888, the watch stopped at 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, when the pair sadly went down with the sinking vessel.
Isidor and Ida’s narrative was depicted in James Cameron’s Academy Award-winning Titanic, illustrating their decision to stay together as the ship sank. Historical records indicate that Isidor was extended an opportunity to board a lifeboat due to his age, but he declined, asserting he wouldn’t leave until all women and children were safe. Ida, who almost boarded a lifeboat herself, opted to stay with him and instead offered her seat and fur coat to her maid. The couple were last seen together on deck chairs, hand in hand, as chaos erupted around them.
Isidor’s pocket watch was recovered with his body and was returned to his family until the recent auction on November 22. “Pocket watches are deeply personal items,” stated Henry Aldridge & Son’s managing director, Andrew Aldridge. “Each man, woman, and child, whether a passenger or crew member, had a narrative to share, and they continue to be told 113 years later through the objects they possessed. Items like this sustain the story and draw us nearer to the memory of one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century.”
This sale established a new high for Titanic memorabilia, occurring just a year after another pocket watch—given to the captain of the RMS Carpathia by John Jacob Astor’s widow and two additional survivors in appreciation for their rescue—sold for £1.175 million ($1.5 million) at the same auction house in April 2024.
A letter Ida Straus sent from the Titanic, showcasing the rare TransAtlantic7 postmark, also fetched £122,500 ($161,893) at the auction. Additionally, a diary retrieved from the possessions of Ernest Tomlin, a third-class passenger aboard the ship, sold for £39,200 ($51,805), while a five-page letter detailing his experiences on the vessel went for £26,950 ($35,619). Aldridge remarked, “Some of the prices observed at this auction reflect the ongoing intrigue with this remarkable story.”
Discover more about the auction on the Henry Aldridge & Son Ltd website.