Isidor Straus's gold pocket watch, a passenger on the Titanic, could become the most expensive piece ever sold.

A gold pocket watch belonging to Isidor Straus, co-owner of Macy's, could set a sales record at auction. The watch was recovered after the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912, when Straus and his wife, Ida, lost their lives. Ida refused to board a lifeboat, choosing to stay with her husband, stating that her place was with him. The watch, engraved with the initials 'IS', stopped at 2:20, the moment of the tragedy. The item, along with a letter from Ida Straus, will be sold by the auction house Henry Aldridge & Son. Andrew Aldridge, an expert in Titanic collectibles, emphasizes the historical significance of the watch, considering it one of the most valuable artifacts related to the Titanic story. Items in this category have fetched impressive sums at previous auctions, and Aldridge is recognized as an authority in the field.