A rare gold pocket watch recovered from Titanic passenger Isidor Straus might become the highest-priced artifact sold from the ship.
The New York Post reported that Straus, the co-owner of Macy's, was traveling with his wife, Ida, when the vessel sank in April 1912.
The watch will be offered at auction on Saturday, Nov. 22.
Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said one early description placed the couple on deck together shortly before the ship went down. The two were returning from Europe, and Ida became known for declining a lifeboat seat after refusing to leave her husband.
According to published accounts, she told him her place was with him, and her maid was placed in the lifeboat instead.
Days after the disaster, the Straus family items were recovered from the Atlantic and given to the couple's son, Jesse. Among them was the 18-carat gold Jules Jurgensen pocket watch engraved with the initials IS.
Experts believe Ida gave the watch to her husband for his 43rd birthday in 1888, the same year he and his brother became full partners in Macy's.
The watch reportedly stopped at 2:20 a.m., which was the time the Titanic became fully submerged.
Aldridge said personal watches were significant symbols for men of that era and described this piece as one of the most meaningful items connected to the Titanic story.
He said the watch reflects both Straus' place in society and the couple's historical significance.
A letter written by Ida Straus four days before the disaster will be sold with the watch. The letter is dated April 10, 1912, carries the Titanic letterhead and was postmarked at the ship's post office before mail was taken off in Queenstown, Ireland.
In it, Ida described the near collision between the Titanic and the SS New York as the ship left Southampton. She wrote that the danger passed quickly and said they were continuing toward Cherbourg.
Aldridge said the letter is in remarkable condition and contains detailed observations that will interest collectors. He noted that having a Titanic postmark is rare and adds historical value.
Both the letter and the watch are being sold by direct descendants of the Straus family through Henry Aldridge and Son Auctioneers in Wiltshire.
Recent Titanic-related sales have reached high prices, including a watch linked to John Jacob Astor (about $1.485 million in 2024) and Wallace Hartley's violin (about $1.7 million in 2013).
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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