Titanic's richest man's watch sold at auction for 12 crores

 

A gold pocket watch that belonged to the richest passenger on the Titanic has been sold at auction. At an auction on Sunday, April 28, the watch sold for six times its estimated price. The watch has been sold for Rs 9.41 crore. When all taxes and fees are added, it will come to 12.29 crore rupees. This gold watch belongs to John Jacob Astor who was an industrialist. Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge described the watch's auction as 'a world record auction for items recovered from the Titanic'. A violin previously fetched the highest price at auction for items recovered from the Titanic. It was sold for Rs 9.41 crore that day. It was Rs 11.5 crore including taxes and other charges.

According to a BBC report, 47-year-old Astor took one last cigarette after putting his wife, Madeleine, in a lifeboat. Later, he sank along with the ship. David Bedard, president of the British Titanic Society, said many of the watches on board at the time were destroyed. However, Aster's son repaired the watch and made it work.

That day, Aster put his pregnant wife in a lifeboat and stayed there. David Bedard recalls of Astor that he knew he was not going to escape.