Gold Pocket Watch From Titanic Rescue Sells For £1.56 Million

A gold pocket watch gifted to the British captain who rescued over 700 passengers from the Titanic has sold at auction for a record-breaking £1.56 million ($1.97 million), André Rhoden-Paul reported for BBC News.

The 18-carat Tiffany & Co. timepiece was presented to Sir Arthur Rostron, then captain of the RMS Carpathia, by Titanic survivors in 1912. I Photo: Henry Aldridge & Son

The 18-carat Tiffany & Co. timepiece was presented to Sir Arthur Rostron, then captain of the RMS Carpathia, by Titanic survivors in 1912. Auctioneer Henry Aldridge & Son, based in Wiltshire, stated that this was the highest amount ever paid for Titanic memorabilia.

The watch was purchased by a private collector in the United States, underscoring the "enduring fascination" with the ill-fated ocean liner.

Sir Arthur diverted the Carpathia, which was en route from New York to Europe, after the ship's wireless operator intercepted a distress call: "We've struck ice, come at once." The Carpathia raced to the scene at full speed, arriving two hours after the Titanic sank in the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912.

The watch was a gift from the widows of three prominent men lost in the disaster: John Jacob Astor, the wealthiest passenger aboard; George Widener; and John B. Thayer.

It carries an inscription reading, "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.”