Titanic Rescue Hero’s Gold Pocket Watch Sets $2 Million Auction Record

A gold pocket watch presented to the captain of the ship that saved 700 Titanic survivors was sold for nearly $2 million at an auction on Saturday, setting a record for Titanic memorabilia.

The 18-carat Tiffany & Co. pocket watch was gifted in 1912 to Captain Arthur Rostron by three women. Rostron had steered his ship, the RMS Carpathia, to rescue passengers of the Titanic after it struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic.

The auction, conducted by Henry Aldridge & Son, sold the watch to a private collector in the United States for £1.56 million ($2 million), including taxes and fees. This sale marks the highest price ever paid for a piece of Titanic memorabilia.

The watch was gifted to Rostron by the widows of Titanic victims, including John Jacob Astor IV, one of the wealthiest men aboard, who perished in the disaster.

Earlier this year, a pocket watch belonging to John Jacob Astor, recovered with his body seven days after the Titanic sank, was sold for $1.5 million (£1.17 million), previously holding the record for Titanic memorabilia.

Captain Rostron was hailed as a hero for his bravery and quick action in leading the rescue mission, earning widespread recognition along with his crew for their courageous efforts.