A gold pocket watch recovered from Titanic passenger Isidor Straus, frozen at the exact time the ship sank, is set to sell for £1 million, highlighting both the historical tragedy and enduring fascination with the disaster.

More than a century after the Titanic sank into the icy Atlantic, a relic of love, luxury, and loss is poised to captivate the world at auction.

Isidor Straus, the wealthy co-founder of Macy’s department store, and his devoted wife Ida, are remembered for their undying devotion as the ship met its catastrophic fate.

Their story, immortalized in James Cameron’s 1997 film depicting the elderly couple lying together in their stateroom as the liner sank, is now being resurrected through an extraordinary artifact: Isidor’s 18-carat Jules Jurgensen gold pocket watch.

Recovered from his body after the disaster, the watch is engraved with his initials and, hauntingly, stopped at 2:20 a.m.—the exact moment the Titanic slipped beneath the waves—freezing time on one of history’s most infamous nights.

For the first time in generations, this watch is being sold by the Straus family, expected to fetch £1 million, potentially making it one of the most valuable Titanic artifacts ever to change hands.

The personal story behind this timepiece is as compelling as the watch itself. On the night of April 14, 1912, Ida Straus refused a place in a lifeboat, insisting she would not abandon her husband, and chose instead to remain by his side.

Isidor’s body was recovered days later, and among his possessions, the watch was meticulously logged and returned to his son Jesse, preserving a tangible piece of history that connected the man to a moment of ultimate human loyalty and tragedy.

Alongside the watch, a letter penned by Ida on Titanic-headed stationery shortly after departure from Southampton has resurfaced.

The letter, addressed to a family friend, describes in loving detail the grandeur of the ship, noting the luxurious rooms, the ship’s immense scale, and even a near-collision with the moored liner SS New York.

These insights offer an intimate glimpse into the Strauses’ life aboard the Titanic, providing historical context that elevates the auction beyond mere material fascination.

The letter is expected to fetch £150,000 at auction, emphasizing the value collectors place not only on physical objects but on the stories they tell.

Isidor Straus’s life was one of achievement and affluence. As a co-founder of Macy’s, he helped establish what remains today the largest department store chain in the United States, a symbol of American commerce and ingenuity.

Yet even in wealth and status, the Strauses’ story was marked by profound personal sacrifice.

After the ship struck the iceberg, they were last reportedly seen sitting together on deck, arm in arm, a final act of devotion that has been

commemorated with a memorial statue at Broadway and West End Avenue in Manhattan, depicting Ida draped gracefully on a divan in homage to her courage and fidelity.

Over time, this statue and the preserved artifacts—most notably the gold pocket watch—have become emblematic of Titanic history, symbolizing the human dimension of a disaster often told through numbers and statistics rather than intimate stories of love and choice.

The auction itself promises to be one of the most significant in the history of Titanic memorabilia. Previous sales of related items underscore the intensity of collector interest:

the captain of the Carpathia’s gold pocket watch, linked to the ship that rescued over 700 survivors, sold for £1.56 million, while the violin played by Titanic’s bandmaster Wallace Hartley fetched £1.1 million, and John Jacob Astor’s gold pocket watch sold for £900,000.

These examples highlight the extraordinary market for tangible pieces of history imbued with narrative power.

The Straus watch, frozen at the precise moment of the ship’s demise, adds a visceral and dramatic dimension to the story, allowing bidders to hold a physical connection to both the human and historical tragedy of the Titanic.

In addition to its historical significance, the watch itself is a masterpiece of craftsmanship.

The 18-carat gold timepiece, adorned with intricate detailing and a delicate chime that marks each hour, was originally a gift from Ida to Isidor on his 43rd birthday in 1888, the same year he and his brother became full partners at Macy’s.

Its movement has since been restored by Isidor’s great-grandson Kenneth Hollister Straus, ensuring that while it represents a frozen moment in time, it remains a functional marvel.

The watch is a symbol of personal affection, technical ingenuity, and historical resonance, all wrapped into a single object that bridges generations, continents, and eras.

Collectors, historians, and Titanic enthusiasts alike will now have the opportunity to witness history as it once happened.

The November 22 auction at Henry Aldridge & Son Auctioneers of Devizes, Wiltshire, will see the pocket watch and accompanying letter offered to the public for the first time, presenting a rare chance to own a direct link to a story that has captivated imaginations for over a century.

The sale underscores a larger cultural fascination with objects that embody not just wealth or rarity, but the human stories behind them—the courage, devotion, and choices that transform personal items into symbols of collective memory.

As the auction date approaches, speculation swirls over who might claim this remarkable piece of history. Will it enter a private collection, shielded from public view, or will it find a home where its story can be shared widely, inspiring awe and reflection for generations to come?

The gold watch, stopped at 2:20 a.m., does more than mark the passage of time—it freezes the ultimate human drama of the Titanic, allowing us to confront the depth of love, loyalty, and tragedy with each tick that will never again move.

As collectors and admirers anticipate the sale, one question hangs in the air: in a world driven by luxury and money, what price can truly measure the value of devotion, heroism, and history?

The answer may soon be revealed when the hammer falls, and the Straus legacy moves into its next chapter, still forever marked by that fateful night in April 1912.