A pocket watch sold at auction Saturday went for just under $1.5 million. Yes, one of those watches you see in 1940s movies where a guy pulls it out of a pocket in his suit vest. It’s not super fancy. Nor is it inlaid with precious jewels. I’m fairly confident that it’s not magical.
It has a connection to the Titanic. It belonged to John Jacob Astor IV, a super rich guy who had an overly large mustache that he probably twirled in his fingers while his maid counted all the money that poured in. Anyway, Mr. Astor died as the Titanic sunk, but they recovered his body with the pocket watch on it.