Titanic Passenger’s Watch Sells for Record ₹12 Crore: Timepiece of Wealthiest Person aboard Ship
According to BBC News, the harp of the wealthiest passenger aboard the Titanic is up for auction. Businessman John Jacob Astor’s harp has been sold for more than 12 crore rupees. The auctioneer, Andrew Eldridge, stated that this is a world record.
Reportedly, the harp comes with John’s son’s gold cufflinks. It was purchased by American private collectors Henry Eldridge and Sons. This harp, which was played to calm nervous passengers as the Titanic sank in 2013, was put up for auction. Within just 10 minutes of the start of the auction, the harp was sold for 9.5 crore rupees.
Andrew, the auctioneer, said, “This auction is proof of how unique harrowing can be. It also shows that people are still excited about the story of the Titanic. Even after 112 years, the stories of the doomed ship can still be heard today. Along with the sinking of the ship, it is also connected to the stories of the 2200 people who were aboard the Titanic.”
According to BBC News, during the sinking of the Titanic, owner of the watch, John Jacob Astor, was talking to other people on the ship instead of using the lifeboat to save his own life. Indeed, at the beginning, John didn’t realize how big the risk was on board.
John’s body was found in the ocean about a week after the Titanic sank. With him was his gold watch. John was the wealthiest person on board the ship. His watch was valued at 7.25 billion rupees at the time, which would be worth several times that amount in today’s dollars. John’s son, Vincent Astor, inherited his father’s watch and gave it to William Dobbin, the son of his executive secretary.
The Titanic sank on April 14, 1912, during its maiden voyage, which had begun on April 10, 1912. Its construction started in 1909 and was completed in 1912. On the night of April 14-15, on its fourth day of the voyage, the Titanic collided with an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean.
Afterward, it broke into two pieces and sank into the ocean. The sinking of the Titanic resulted in the deaths of more than 1500 people, although around 700 passengers survived. There are various claims about the cause of the Titanic disaster. According to one claim, the ship’s captain, Smith, disregarded warnings about the presence of icebergs in the sea and did not reduce the ship’s speed.
In 1997, director James Cameron made a film named “Titanic” based on the sinking of the ship. The film Titanic won a record 11 Oscars.
