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A gold pocket watch once belonging to Isidor Straus, one of the Titanic’s wealthiest passengers, achieved a record-breaking sale price of £1.78 million at auction. Isidor Straus and his wife Ida tragically lost their lives when the Titanic sank on April 14, 1912, after striking an iceberg during its voyage from Southampton to New York. Following the disaster, Mr. Straus’s body was recovered from the Atlantic Ocean, alongside his treasured 18-carat gold Jules Jurgensen pocket watch.
Straus, originally from Bavaria, was a businessman, politician, and co-owner of the famous Macy’s department store in New York. His wife Ida famously declined a seat on a lifeboat during the sinking, choosing instead to stay by her husband’s side—a poignant act of devotion. While Isidor’s body was recovered, Ida’s was never found. The auction also featured a letter penned by Ida on Titanic stationery while aboard the ship, which sold for £100,000. Other notable items included a passenger list from the Titanic fetching £104,000 and a gold medal awarded to the RMS Carpathia crew—who rescued survivors—selling for £86,000. Collectively, the auction raised £3 million solely from Titanic memorabilia.
The pocket watch itself had stopped at precisely 2:20 am, marking the exact moment the Titanic disappeared beneath the waves. It is thought to have been a gift from Ida to Isidor for his 43rd birthday in 1888, personalized with his initials. The watch remained in the Straus family over the years until Kenneth Hollister Straus, Isidor’s great-grandson, had its mechanism restored and repaired before it entered the auction.
Andrew Aldridge, the auctioneer, highlighted the significance of the watch’s price, stating that the sum “illustrates the enduring interest in the Titanic story.” He reflected on the human tales behind every passenger and crew member and remarked on the Strauses’ legendary love story, saying, “Ida refusing to leave her husband of 41 years as the Titanic sank… this world record price is testament to the respect that they are held in.” The previous record for a Titanic-related watch was set last year when a gold pocket watch belonging to the captain of the RMS Carpathia—the ship that rescued over 700 Titanic survivors—sold for £1.56 million
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