According to a report by AFP on April 27, a gold watch that was found on the body of the wealthiest passenger aboard the Titanic was recently auctioned in England for £1.17 million ($1.46 million). This amount set a record for the highest sum paid for an item linked to the tragic 1912 shipwreck, as announced by auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son. The watch, which had the initials JJA engraved on it, belonged to American tycoon John Jacob Astor.
Known as one of the wealthiest individuals in the world during that period, Astor lost his life after assisting his wife, Madeleine, onto a lifeboat when the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912. Fortuitously, she survived the disaster while his body was discovered a week later with the watch among his personal effects. After its recovery and restoration, the watch was subsequently worn by Astor’s son according to a statement from the auction house cited by AFP.