The 14kt gold Waltham pocket watch recovered from the body of businessman John Jacob Astor, of the famed family and one of those who died on the Titanic in 1912, sold for £1.175 million (including premium and taxes) at an auction by Henry Aldridge & Son to a private U.S. collector, setting a new record for Titanic memorabilia.

The pocket watch, engraved ‘JJA’, was recovered with his body, and passed on by his son Vincent to the son of his father’s executive secretary.

Restored after being returned to the family of Colonel Astor, the watch was passed by Mr Astor’s son Vincent to the son of his father’s executive secretary, William Dobbyn and came with a signed affidavit from William Dobbyn IV’s daughter-in-law stating that the watch was a gift to William Dobbyn’s son (William Dobbyn V) from his godfather Vincent Astor at his christening in 1935 and that its provenance and recovery was attested to by Vincent Astor on that occasion.

You can read the details of the lot at this link.

[Photo credit: Henry Aldridge & Son]

Categories: Auctions, pocket watches, Vintage watches etc, Waltham, watches