LONDON (AP) – A gold pocket watch given to the ship captain who rescued 700 survivors from the Titanic sold at auction for nearly USD2 million, setting a record for memorabilia from the ship wreck.
The 18-carat Tiffany & Co watch was given by three women survivors to Captain Arthur Rostron for diverting his passenger ship, the RMS Carpathia, to save them and others after the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank in the north Atlantic on its maiden voyage in 1912.
Auctioneers Henry Aldridge and Son, who sold the watch to a private collector in the United States (US) on Saturday for GBP1.56 million, said it’s the most paid for a piece of Titanic memorabilia. The price includes taxes and fees paid by the buyer.
The watch was given to Rostron 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.
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 USD1.5 million 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 artefacts.
“Every man, woman and child had a story to tell, and those stories are told over a century later through the memorabilia,” he said.
that rescued 700 survivors of the Titanic. PHOTO: HENRY ALDRIDGE AND SON
