Titanic Treasures: Astor’s Gold Watch and Hartley’s Violin Case Fetch Record Sums at Auction

The iconic gold pocket watch once owned by John Jacob Astor IV, the wealthiest passenger aboard the doomed Titanic ship during its ill-fated maiden voyage in 1912, has sold for a record sum of nearly $1.5 million at auction. Initially valued at approximately $189,000, the watch’s intricate casing bears Astor’s initials “JJA.” The business magnate and real estate developer perished alongside his pregnant wife Madeleine after helping her onto a lifeboat while being instructed that all women and children had priority boarding. In Titanic folklore, it is said that Astor smoked one final cigarette before departing from his spouse as the ship sank tragically due to an iceberg collision. After Astor’s body was recovered alongside other remnants, his son Vincent bestowed this valuable memento onto William Dobbyn’s offspring in celebration of their baptism. The watch underwent restoration and eventually returned into the possession of the Astor family before it resurfaced for auction recently. Another historic relic sold during the event was Wallace Hartley’s bag, which previously housed his famous violin that he played as the Titanic sank beneath him. Estimated to fetch around $150,000 prior to auction commencement on Saturday 4 December (2021), this leather case containing remnants of Hartley’s remains fetched an astounding final sale price totaling approximately $454,949 at the event. Additionally, Astor’s Titanic blueprint detailing its layout also went under the hammer for a whopping sum of around $37,912 during this auction. For more news and updates on current events, stay tuned to our daily coverage.