Titanic Victim John Jacob Astor IV's Pocket Watch and Gold Pencil to be Auctioned in Chicago

A Patek Philippe pocket watch originally purchased from Tiffany & Co. in 1904 and recovered from the body of John Jacob Astor IV after the RMS Titanic sank is set for auction. The timepiece, along with a gold pencil found with it, will be offered by Freeman's Auction in Chicago on April 22 as part of a sale featuring 63 watches and accessories. The watch carries an estimated value between $300,000 and $500,000, while the pencil is expected to fetch $10,000 to $20,000. John Jacob Astor IV, a prominent real estate developer and the wealthiest passenger aboard the Titanic with a fortune equivalent to over $2 billion today, was traveling with his second wife, Madeleine, returning from an extended honeymoon to avoid media attention surrounding their marriage. After the ship struck an iceberg, Astor assisted his wife onto a lifeboat but remained on deck, perishing in the disaster. His body was recovered a week later by the cable ship Mackay-Bennett, along with his personal effects. The watch has remained within the Astor family for generations, passed down through his son Vincent and subsequent heirs until being consigned by the estate of Charlene, Vincent's daughter-in-law, who died last year. Freeman's emphasizes the authenticity of this watch based on its direct recovery from Astor, continuous family ownership, and supporting documentation, distinguishing it from another watch attributed to Astor that sold for $1.5 million in 2024. That record was later surpassed by a watch belonging to Titanic victim Isidor Straus, which sold for $2.3 million in November 2024. The auction highlights the enduring historical interest in Titanic artifacts and the personal stories of its passengers.