Preserved in working order with its original winding key, the French cylinder hunting-case watch displays minimal wear despite being more than a century old. Beatrice Houdini presented the gift just days after her husband made an aviation breakthrough at Diggers Rest in Victoria, Australia. Inside the lid, an acrostic inscription conceals his original birth name, "EHRICH," while publicly disproving the alternate birth date he often propagated during his lifetime.
Key points
The timepiece formally verified Houdini's true March 24 birth date over the April 6 date…: The timepiece formally verified Houdini's true March 24 birth date over the April 6 date he frequently claimed publicly.
An unbroken chain of provenance documented owners including mentalist Joseph Dunninger, R…: An unbroken chain of provenance documented owners including mentalist Joseph Dunninger, Raphael Ellenbogen, and Kevin Connolly.
Bess Houdini gave the watch to her husband in March 1910 shortly after he completed an ae…: Bess Houdini gave the watch to her husband in March 1910 shortly after he completed an aeroplane flight in Australia.
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Harry Houdini was famous for escaping locked boxes, handcuffs and seemingly impossible restraints, but one of the most personal objects connected to him carried a secret hidden in plain sight. In 1910, his wife Beatrice, known as Bess, gave him a gold-filled pocket watch engraved with what appeared to be a simple birthday message. More than a century later, Potter & Potter Auctions sold the watch for $204,000, far above its $20,000 to $40,000 estimate, as per their website. The reason for the extraordinary price is the inscription inside the case. At first glance, it reads like an affectionate note from Bess to her husband. But the first letters of the central words spell “EHRICH,” the birth name Houdini was born with as Erik Weisz. That small act of concealment, combined with the watch’s direct link to Houdini and Bess, helped turn a 19th-century timepiece into one of the most sought-after Houdini artefacts ever offered at auction. Read more about it here, as per details on the auction house's website:
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