A gold pocket watch gifted to Captain Arthur Rostron of the RMS Carpathia has sold for a record-breaking £1.56 million ($1.97 million), shattering the previous record for Titanic-related memorabilia, CNN reports.
The auction, conducted by Henry Aldridge & Son, took place on Sunday.
The 18-carat Tiffany & Co. watch was presented to Captain Rostron by the widows of three wealthy Titanic passengers who perished in the disaster: Mrs. John B. Thayer, Mrs. John Jacob Astor, and Mrs. George D. Widener. Their inscription on the watch reads, “Presented to Captain Rostron with the heartfelt gratitude and appreciation of three survivors of the Titanic April 15th 1912.”
Captain Rostron’s courageous actions in 1912 are legendary. While en route from New York to the Mediterranean, he diverted the Carpathia upon receiving distress calls from the sinking Titanic, successfully rescuing over 700 passengers and crew members. John Jacob Astor IV, Mrs. Astor’s husband and one of the wealthiest men aboard the Titanic, is famously depicted in James Cameron’s film Titanic. He perished in the disaster, while his pregnant wife survived.
The presentation of the watch took place at Mrs. Astor’s New York mansion on May 31, 1912, less than two months after the sinking. The previous record for a Titanic artifact sold at auction was also a pocket watch, which fetched £1.175 million ($1.485 million) earlier this year.
Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge noted that the record-breaking sale reflects the enduring fascination with the Titanic story and the scarcity of related artifacts. “The fact the world record price for Titanic memorabilia has been broken twice this year demonstrates the ever-decreasing supply and an ever-increasing demand for memorabilia related to the ship,” he stated.
The watch was purchased by a private collector in the United States.
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