Watch of captain who rescued Titanic survivors breaks auction record

A gold pocket watch given to the ship captain who rescued 700 survivors from the Titanic sold at auction for approx. €1.8 million, setting a record for memorabilia from the famous shipwreck.

The 18-carat Tiffany & Co. watch was given to Capt. Arthur Rostron for diverting his passenger ship, the RMS Carpathia, to save passengers after the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank in the north Atlantic on its maiden voyage in 1912.

It was gifted by the widow of John Jacob Astor, the richest man to die in the disaster, and the widows of two other wealthy businessmen who went down with the ship.

Auctioneers Henry Aldridge and Son, who sold the watch to a private collector in the United States on Saturday for £1.56 million (€1.86m), said it’s the most paid for a piece of Titanic memorabilia.

The inscription on the watch says it was given “with the heartfelt gratitude and appreciation of three survivors.”

Rostron was hailed a hero for his actions the night the Titanic sank and his crew was recognized for their bravery. The Carpathia was sailing from New York to the Mediterranean Sea when a radio operator heard a distress call from the Titanic in the early hours of 15 April 1912 and woke Rostron in his cabin. By the time the Carpathia arrived, the Titanic had sunk and 1,500 people perished. But the crew located 20 lifeboats and rescued more than 700 passengers and took them back to New York.

Astor’s pocket watch, which was on his body when it was recovered seven days after the ship sank, had previously set the record for the highest price paid for a Titanic keepsake, fetching nearly £1.17 million (€1.4m) from the same auction house in April.

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said the fact that Titanic memorabilia has set two records this year demonstrates the enduring fascination with the story and the value of the dwindling supply and high demand for ship artifacts.

“Every man, woman and child had a story to tell, and those stories are told over a century later through the memorabilia,” he said.