A gold pocket watch awarded to Captain Arthur Rostron, who rescued 700 survivors from the Titanic, has been sold at auction for nearly $2 million, setting a record for Titanic memorabilia.
The 18-carat Tiffany & Co. watch was given to Rostron by three surviving women in gratitude for diverting his passenger ship, the RMS Carpathia, to rescue them and others after the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank during its maiden voyage in 1912.
Auctioneers Henry Aldridge and Son announced that the watch was sold to a private collector in the United States for £1.56 million, which includes buyer’s taxes and fees. This sale represents the highest price ever paid for an item related to the Titanic.
The watch was presented to Rostron by the widow of John Jacob Astor, the wealthiest victim of the disaster, along with the widows of two other prominent businessmen who perished. Previously, Astor’s own pocket watch, recovered a week after the sinking, had set the record for Titanic memorabilia by selling for nearly $1.5 million in April from the same auction house.
Andrew Aldridge, the auctioneer, remarked that the recent record-setting sales reflect the ongoing fascination with the Titanic and the scarcity of such artifacts. “Every man, woman, and child had a story to tell, and those stories are shared through memorabilia,” he stated.
Rostron was celebrated for his heroism on that fateful night. After the Titanic sank, he and his crew navigated through icebergs to rescue survivors from lifeboats despite challenges. Though 1,500 lives were lost, the Carpathia successfully saved over 700 passengers and returned them to New York.
For his bravery, Rostron received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal from President William Howard Taft and was later knighted by King George V.
The watch, inscribed with “with the heartfelt gratitude and appreciation of three survivors,” was presented at a luncheon hosted by Madeleine Astor, who had been assisted into a lifeboat by her husband. The inscription also includes the names of Mrs. John B. Thayer and Mrs. George D. Widener.
“It was presented principally in gratitude for Rostron’s bravery in saving those lives,” Aldridge explained. “Without Mr. Rostron, those 700 people wouldn’t have made it.”
Credit: ABC News
