Potter & Potter Auctions announced on October 31, 2026 that a gold‑filled pocket watch once owned by Harry Houdini fetched $204,000 at its London auction, far above the $20,000‑to‑$40,000 estimate. The 19th‑century French timepiece, measuring 1 11/16 inches, shows a working mechanism that needs servicing yet remains in near‑fine condition.
The watch bears an inscription that reads: “For Harry / Ever Houdini / Remembering In / Complete Happiness / BESS / 3/24/10.” At first glance it appears a romantic dedication, but the acrostic formed by the capital letters of the middle words spells “Ehrich,” Houdini’s birth name.
Bess presented the watch to Houdini on his 36th birthday, March 24, 1910, while the couple toured Australia. Six days later Houdini made the first Australian airplane flight at Diggers Rest, adding a historic aviation milestone to his already daring career.
The item’s provenance is impeccable: after Houdini’s death it passed to mentalist Joseph Dunninger, then to collector Raphael Ellenbogen, and finally to Kevin Connolly, with each transfer documented in Magicol and other reputable sources.
With 13 bids, the watch’s final price more than five times its high estimate signals the intense appetite among collectors for authenticated Houdini artifacts. Auction analysts say the sale could spur further high‑value transactions of rare memorabilia linked to the legendary escape artist.