Gold Pocket Watch from Titanic Rescuer Fetches £1.56m at Auction

The gold pocket watch awarded to Sir Arthur Rostron, captain of RMS Carpathia, sold for £1.56m at auction, setting a new record for Titanic memorabilia. The watch, presented by Titanic survivors, reflects the deep-seated historical interest in the ship's tragic sinking.

 

A remarkable gold pocket watch, presented to Sir Arthur Rostron—the captain of the RMS Carpathia, who famously rescued over 700 survivors from the Titanic—has been sold for a staggering £1.56 million ($1.97 million) at auction. The 18-carat Tiffany & Co timepiece, a true piece of maritime history, was gifted to Rostron by the grateful survivors he saved.

Auctioneer Henry Aldridge and Son, based in Wiltshire, confirmed that this sale marks the highest price ever recorded for Titanic-related memorabilia. A private collector from the United States purchased the exquisite watch, underscoring the lasting fascination with the tragic tale of the Titanic and its legacy.

The watch's story began on the fateful night of April 15, 1912, when the Carpathia altered its course in response to a distress signal. After receiving the call that the Titanic had struck an iceberg, Captain Rostron directed his ship toward the sinking liner. The Carpathia arrived two hours post-sinking, playing an instrumental role in the rescue of the stranded passengers.

The watch is notably inscribed with the message, “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.” The watch was presented during a lunch at the Astor mansion on Fifth Avenue in New York City, primarily to honor Rostron’s valiant efforts in saving lives that night.

Prior to this sale, the record for Titanic memorabilia was held by another gold pocket watch retrieved from John Jacob Astor’s body, which sold for £1.175 million earlier this April. The increasing demand for Titanic artifacts is evident, with auctioneer Andrew Aldridge remarking on the shrinking supply amidst rising collector interest. Rare Titanic items continue to emerge, shedding light on a piece of history that still captivates imaginations over a century later.