Gold pocket watch given to hero captain who rescued Titanic survivors sells for P115 million at auction
A gold pocket watch that was given to the ship captain who rescued 700 survivors from the Titanic was sold at 1.56 million British pounds (around P115 million), becoming the highest-sold item from the shipwreck.
The item was an 18-carat Tiffany & Co. watch given to Capt. Arthur Rostron of RMS Carpathia, who responded to a distress call from the Titanic and managed to rescue 700 passengers after the tragic iceberg collision, per CBS News.
It came from Madeleine, widow of John Jacob Astor, the richest man to die in the tragic accident, as well as from two other widows of wealthy businessmen who also didn’t survive.
The watch bears an inscription that reads, "Presented to Captain Rostron, with the heartfelt gratitude and appreciation of three survivors of the Titanic.” It also included the date April 15, 1912—the date of the tragic event—and the names of Astor and two businessmen John B. Thayer and George D. Widener with the “Mrs” title, representing their widows.
Auctioneers Henry Aldrige and Son sold the watch to a private collector in the United States on Nov. 16 for 1.56 million British pounds (around P115 million), inclusive of the taxes and fees, making it the most expensive Titanic memorabilia.
The second most expensive item sold was Astor’s pocket watch he was wearing during the tragic event, amounting to nearly 1.15 British pounds (around P87 million).
Aldrige said that the two record sales from the Titanic memorabilia show “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.
Due to his heroic act, Rostron was awarded the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal by US president William Howard Taft, the highest honor given to a non-US citizen.