Isidor Straus’ Titanic Pocket Watch Sells for $2.3 Million at Auction

NEW YORK — A gold pocket watch owned by Isidor Straus, a prominent passenger who perished in the Titanic disaster, sold for $2.3 million at auction, setting a new record for Titanic-related artifacts, officials said.

Straus, co-owner of Macy’s department store, carried the 18-carat gold Jules Jürgensen pocket watch on the Titanic’s ill-fated maiden voyage in 1912. The watch, a birthday gift from his wife Ida in 1888, reportedly stopped at 2:20 a.m. on April 15, the time the ship sank after striking an iceberg.

Ida Straus famously declined a place on a lifeboat, choosing to remain with her husband. According to accounts, she told him, “My place is with you. I have lived with you. I love you, and, if necessary, I shall die with you.” Their story was depicted in the film “Titanic,” showing the couple holding hands as the ship went down.

The watch was recovered from Isidor Straus’ body and kept by his family until it was sold at auction last Saturday by Henry Aldridge and Son. Andrew Aldridge, managing director of the auction house, said pocket watches are deeply personal items that help keep the memory of Titanic’s tragedy alive. He noted the continued fascination with the disaster is reflected in the high prices achieved for such artifacts.

This sale surpassed a previous record set at the same auction house, where a pocket watch given to the captain of the RMS Carpathia—rescuer of Titanic survivors—sold for $1.97 million last year.

The auction highlights the enduring interest in the Titanic’s history and the personal stories of its passengers, preserved through objects like Straus’ pocket watch.