A gold pocket watch, recovered from the body of one of the wealthiest passengers aboard the RMS Titanic, is being sold by his family for an estimated £1 million, more than a century after the tragic maritime disaster.
The Tragic Love Story Behind the Timepiece
The watch belonged to Isidor Straus, the co-owner of the famed Macy's department store in New York. He was travelling with his devoted wife, Ida, when the Titanic struck an iceberg on April 15, 1912. As the ship foundered, Ida famously refused a place in a lifeboat, choosing instead to remain and die with her husband. Their enduring love story was later immortalised in James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster film, Titanic.
Isidor Straus's body was recovered from the Atlantic Ocean days after the sinking, which claimed 1,520 lives. Among his logged possessions was this poignant artefact: an 18-carat gold Jules Jurgensen pocket watch, engraved with his initials 'IS'. The watch had stopped at 2.20am, precisely the moment the Titanic disappeared beneath the waves.
A Family Heirloom and Historical Document
The watch was returned to his son, Jesse, along with other personal effects and has been passed down through generations of the Straus family. For the first time, direct descendants are now offering it for sale through Henry Aldridge & Son Auctioneers in Devizes, Wiltshire.
Accompanying the watch is a remarkable letter written by Ida Straus on Titanic-headed notepaper. Penned shortly after the liner departed Southampton on April 10, 1912, the letter describes the ship's magnificence and even references the 'New York' incident, where the Titanic nearly collided with the moored SS New York. The letter was later framed and hung in an office at Macy's.
Becoming One of the Most Valuable Titanic Artefacts
The sale is scheduled for November 22, and the watch is anticipated to become one of the most expensive Titanic artefacts ever sold. The letter is expected to fetch up to £150,000.
This sale places the Straus watch among an elite group of high-value Titanic items. Last year, a gold pocket watch presented to the captain of the rescue ship Carpathia sold for a record £1.56 million, while the violin played by bandmaster Wallace Hartley as the ship sank sold for £1.1 million in 2013.
