Isidor and Ida Straus’s devotion to one another has echoed through more than a century of Titanic lore, survivor accounts and popular culture. Now, the pocket watch recovered from Isidor’s body — a symbol of both personal love and historic tragedy — has set a new world record for Titanic memorabilia, selling on Saturday for £1.78 million ($2.34 million) at Henry Aldridge & Son in Wiltshire, England.
The 18-karat gold Jules Jurgensen watch, engraved with Isidor’s initials, was far more than a gentleman’s accessory. It was a birthday gift from Ida to her husband on the occasion of his 43rd birthday in 1888, the same year he and his brother Nathan became full partners in New York’s now-iconic Macy’s department store. The watch reflected not only the couple’s prosperity but also their shared journey — from European immigrants to pillars of American commerce and philanthropy.
The timepiece was still in Isidor’s pocket when his body was recovered in the days following the sinking of the Titanic on April 14–15, 1912. When his personal effects were logged and returned, the watch remained with the Straus family for more than 110 years, lovingly preserved across generations. Before it crossed the auction block, it had never been publicly seen.
Its sale captivated collectors and historians not simply because of its intrinsic beauty or rarity, but because of the extraordinary story tied to its owner.
Isidor and Ida Straus were among the wealthiest couples aboard Titanic and, as first-class passengers in their late sixties, were offered seats on a lifeboat once the scale of the disaster became clear. Isidor refused his seat, insisting that younger men deserved the chance to live. Ida, offered a place moments later, made a fateful and unforgettable choice to remain with her husband.
Witnesses later recounted her saying, “Where you go, I go.” Her maid was directed into a lifeboat and Ida handed her own fur coat to the young woman. Surviving passengers saw the Strauses last as they stood shoulder to shoulder on the sloping deck, arm in arm, choosing unity over survival.
Their story, one of the most poignant human moments of the tragedy, was dramatized in James Cameron’s Titanic (1997) and has remained an enduring symbol of commitment amid catastrophe. Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge, whose firm has handled numerous Titanic artifacts, called the Strauses “the ultimate love story.”
“The world-record price illustrates the enduring interest in the Titanic story,” Aldridge said.
The sale of the Straus watch surpassed the previous Titanic record — also achieved by Henry Aldridge & Son — set by the £1.56 million ($2.05 million) watch presented to the captain of the rescue ship RMS Carpathia. Saturday’s auction also included a rare letter written by Ida aboard the Titanic, which fetched £122,500 ($161,400), and several additional artifacts that brought the day’s total to approximately £3 million ($3.95 million).
Credits: Images courtesy of Henry Aldridge & Son Auctioneers.