A gold watch worn by John Jacob Astor IV, the wealthiest passenger aboard the Titanic, is set to be auctioned along with other memorabilia from the ill-fated ship. Astor, a member of the affluent Astor family, perished in the Titanic disaster on April 15, 1912, while his pregnant wife, Madeleine, survived.
The watch, along with items such as the valise containing the violin famously played by the band leader as the ship sank and a pocketbook documenting the Titanic’s voyages, will be auctioned by Henry Aldridge & Son in Wiltshire, England. Bidding for the watch, which is expected to fetch between $125,000 and $188,000, begins on April 27.
Recovered with Astor’s body after the Titanic tragedy, the watch was later restored by his son, Vincent Astor, and given as a christening gift to the infant son of William Dobbyn IV, Astor’s executive secretary. The watch remained in the Dobbyn family until the late 1990s when it was sold at auction to a collector in the United States, who is now the seller.
In addition to the watch, Astor's cufflinks and a plan of the Titanic’s first-class accommodation will also be available at the auction, with estimated prices ranging from $6,250 to $10,000 for the cufflinks and $25,000 to $37,500 for the accommodation plan.
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