Former executive Patrick Gruhn bought the timepiece, which was found on the body of the Titanic’s richest passenger, property magnate John Jacob Astor IV.

A 14-carat timepiece belonging to John Jacob Astor IV, the wealthiest passenger aboard the ill-fated Titanic, sold for nearly $1.5 million at auction.

A gold pocket watch that belonged to the Titanic’s wealthiest passenger has sold for almost $1.5 million, over seven times more than what it was predicted to sell. The watch, which belonged to John Jacob Astor IV,

The ship sank at 2:20 a.m. When Astor’s body was recovered, it was accompanied by the trappings of an elite American life: gold-and-diamond cufflinks, a diamond ring, today’s equivalent of several hundred-thousand dollars and pounds in currency,

A gold Waltham pocket watch belonging to the richest person aboard the ill-fated 883-foot steamship sold for roughly $1.5 million at a Henry Aldridge & Son auction in the U.K. over the weekend, setting a new record price for Titanic artifacts.

A gold pocket watch, once owned by John Jacob Astor IV, the wealthiest passenger aboard the ill-fated Titanic, has fetched an astonishing price of nearly $1.5 million at auction. The unexpected windfall far surpassed initial estimates and set a new world record for Titanic memorabilia.