This pocket watch may stand up to the legendary Heart of the Ocean.
A pocket watch from Tiffany & Co., awarded to a captain who rescued passengers from the Titanic, fetched nearly $2 million at an auction this past weekend, as reported.
A private collector purchased the 18-carat gold once owned by Sir Arthur Rostron for $1.97 million on Sunday, Nov. 17, marking a new milestone for items associated with the ship’s tragic event, as reported by the BBC.
Rostron, captain of the RMS Carpathia, rescued 700 passengers left adrift after the Titanic collided with an iceberg in the early hours of April 15, 1912. His vessel was on course from New York to the Mediterranean Sea when it altered its path upon receiving the tragic distress signal from the Titanic.
Rostron was roused from his cabin when the alert sounded and navigated the debris through icebergs to arrive at the Titanic, according to CBS. Despite the Titanic’s tragic sinking just as Rostron arrived, his crew managed to locate 20 lifeboats and successfully transported hundreds of survivors to New York. More than 1,500 lives were tragically lost due to the sinking.
At a lunch held at Astor’s mansion in New York City, the widow of John Jacob Astor, the richest individual on the Titanic, along with two other widows of affluent businessmen who perished in the disaster, honored Rostron by presenting him with a watch, as reported by CBS News.
The remarkable timepiece bears an inscription that states: “Presented to Captain Rostron with the heartfelt gratitude and appreciation of three survivors of the Titanic April 15th 1912 Mrs John B Thayer, Mrs John Jacob Astor and Mrs George D Widener.”
“It was presented principally in gratitude for Rostron’s bravery in saving those lives, because without Mr Rostron, those 700 people wouldn’t have made it,” auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said, the BBC reported.
The purchase made on November 17 set a record for the highest price ever paid for items related to the Titanic, as reported by the BBC. A new milestone has been achieved, surpassing the previous record established in October 2023, when a violin associated with the Titanic’s bandleader was auctioned for $1.7 million, according to CNN.
A pocket watch that belonged to Astor and was worn during his time on the Titanic fetched an impressive $1.485 million at auction, as reported by CNN.