A gold pencil case and pocket watch belonging to John Jacob Astor IV that were recovered from the Titanic wreckage will be auctioned for the first time after more than a century in the Astor family’s possession.
Chicago—Two gold accessories belonging to the man believed to be wealthiest passenger aboard the Titanic are going up for auction next month in Chicago.
A Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. pocket watch and a Battin & Co. pencil case, both owned by American business mogul John Jacob Astor IV, who died in the tragedy, will be offered in Freeman's Watches sale later this month.
The pocket watch, made in 18-karat gold, is estimated to fetch $300,000 to $500,000, while the 14-karat yellow gold, diamond, and sapphire pencil case is estimated to sell for $10,000 to $20,000.
Both pieces feature personal engravings.
The back sides of the pencil case and pocket watch, both of which are marked by personal engravings
The artifacts, recovered from Astor's body following the tragedy in April 1912, have remained in possession of the Astor family for more than a century.
This is the first time they are being offered at auction.
"These are among the most powerful personal artifacts connected to the Titanic," said Reginald Brack, SVP, head of department, Watches at Freeman's.
"The watch and pencil were recovered from John Jacob Astor himself, carefully preserved by his family for more than a century, and now emerge with documented provenance across four generations."
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On April 10, 1912, Astor boarded the Titanic with his eighteen-year-old pregnant wife, Madeleine Talmage Astor, in Cherbourg, France, following an extended honeymoon abroad.
When the ship hit an iceberg shortly before midnight on April 14, he helped her into lifeboat. When he asked if he could accompany her, the officer in charge told him women and children must go first.
He calmly stepped back and kissed her goodbye, remaining on deck amid the evacuations, according to accounts from surviving passengers.
The scene is one of the most poignant and widely remembered personal moments of the Titanic tragedy, Freeman’s noted.
His body was recovered by the cable ship Mackay-Bennett days later, and several personal effects were found on his person, which, in addition to the pocket watch and pencil case, included gold cuff links, a diamond ring, and paper currency.
Astor, a businessman and real estate developer, was widely regarded as one of the richest men in America. His gold Patek Philippe pocket watch was “a fitting possession” for someone of his stature at the height of the Gilded Age, the auction house said.
John Jacob Astor IV
Astor purchased his watch from Tiffany & Co. in New York in 1904.
After being recovered, the watch and pencil were returned to Astor's son, Vincent Astor, who wore the watch throughout his life until his death in 1959, according to Freeman’s.
The watch subsequently passed through successive generations of the family, handed from Vincent to his wife Brooke Astor (1959-2007), then to Brooke’s son Anthony Marshall (2007-2014) and on to Anthony’s wife, Charlene Marshall (2014-2025).
The pieces are offered from Charlene’s estate.
The watch is accompanied by an Extract from the Archives of Patek Philippe, confirming its date of manufacture and sale date through Tiffany & Co., as well as authentication by horological experts.
A preview of the Watches sale will be held at Freeman’s New York at 32 East 67th St. on April 14-15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on April 16, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The preview will continue at Freeman’s Chicago at 1550 W. Carroll Ave. on April 20-21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The auction will take place on April 22 at 10 a.m. Central Time in Freeman's Chicago saleroom.
Bidding will be available in person, over the phone, and via absentee or live online bidding.
