A passenger’s pocket watch from the “Titanic” sold at auction for a record $2.33 million.

Commemorative watch of a Titanic passenger sold at auction for a record £1.78 million

A gold pocket watch belonging to deceased Titanic passenger Isidor Straus sold for £1.78 million ($2.33 million), setting a new record for items associated with the ship.

The watch, crafted by Jules Jurgensen from 18-karat gold, was given to Straus on his 43rd birthday in 1888. It is believed to be the most expensive item related to the Titanic. The previous record was set last year when another gold watch belonging to the captain of the rescue ship that saved more than 700 passengers was sold for £1.56 million.

Isidor Straus was born in Bavaria in 1845 and emigrated to the United States in 1854. He succeeded in America, becoming a partner in the well-known New York department store Macy’s. Isidor and his wife Ida were among more than 1,500 individuals who perished in the Titanic disaster in 1912. They were one of the few first-class couples to die in the tragedy.

James Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic immortalized their story in a scene where the couple lies in a cabin as the ship sinks. Straus’s watch was later found among the wreckage and returned to the family.

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge noted that the sale price reflects the enduring interest in Titanic’s history. It reflects the complexity and significance of the stories of each passenger and crew member, relayed through memorabilia, even 113 years later.