Lot Essay
Based on the engraved initials "G.D.W. Jr" the present watch might have been the property of Philadelphia-born George Dunton Widener, Jr. (1889 - 1971), son of the financier George Dunton Widener who perished on the Titanic in 1912.
As heir to the family fortune amassed by his grandfather, P.A.B. Widener, George Jr. was successfully devoted to horse racing and breeding, largely through the influence of his uncle, Joseph Widener. Over the course of his career, Widener and his wife won over 1,243 races and $9 million in purses, and horses bred by the Wideners won over $16 million. Widener was also a great philanthropist, serving as trustee of museums, art centres, hospitals, universities and scientific institutions in Philadelphia, New York and Washington. He was a significant benefactor to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
As heir to the family fortune amassed by his grandfather, P.A.B. Widener, George Jr. was successfully devoted to horse racing and breeding, largely through the influence of his uncle, Joseph Widener. Over the course of his career, Widener and his wife won over 1,243 races and $9 million in purses, and horses bred by the Wideners won over $16 million. Widener was also a great philanthropist, serving as trustee of museums, art centres, hospitals, universities and scientific institutions in Philadelphia, New York and Washington. He was a significant benefactor to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.