A gold pocket watch presented to Captain Arthur Rostron of the RMS Carpathia has been sold at auction for a record £1.56 million ($1.97 million), marking the highest amount ever paid for Titanic memorabilia. Auctioneers Henry Aldridge and Son sold the 18-carat Tiffany & Co. watch to a private collector in the United States. The sale reflects an "ever-increasing demand" for artifacts related to the ill-fated ship.
The watch was presented to Captain Rostron by three women survivors of the Titanic disaster in 1912: Mrs. John Jacob Astor, Mrs. John B. Thayer, and Mrs. George D. Widener. It bears an inscription that reads: "Presented to Captain Rostron with the heartfelt gratitude and appreciation of three survivors of the Titanic April 15, 1912, Mrs. John B. Thayer, Mrs. John Jacob Astor, and Mrs. George D. Widener."
Captain Arthur Rostron was the captain of the RMS Carpathia, a Cunard Line passenger steamship. On the night of April 15, 1912, after receiving the Titanic's distress call, Rostron diverted his ship and navigated through treacherous ice-filled waters to rescue the survivors. The RMS Carpathia famously rescued more than 700 people from the Titanic's lifeboats, helping save 705 individuals from the disaster.
The recent sale breaks the previous record for Titanic memorabilia, which was set in April when a gold pocket watch belonging to John Jacob Astor, the richest man who died in the disaster, was sold for £1.175 million. John Jacob Astor's pocket watch, which was on his body when it was recovered seven days after the ship sank, fetched nearly $1.5 million (£1.17 million) from the same auction house. The watch had previously set the highest price paid for a Titanic keepsake.
Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge commented on the significance of the sale, stating, "It was presented principally in gratitude for Rostron's bravery in saving those lives." He added, "Without Mr. Rostron, those 700 people wouldn't have made it." Aldridge noted that the sale demonstrates the "enduring fascination" with the Titanic and illustrates the "continuously decreasing supply and continuously increasing demand" for artifacts.
"Every man, woman, and child had a story to tell, and those stories are being told more than a century later through the memorabilia," Aldridge said, highlighting the personal connections to Titanic artifacts.
Captain Rostron's heroic actions on the night the Titanic sank earned him widespread acclaim. He was awarded the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal by President William Howard Taft and was later knighted by King George V. The watch, a symbol of gratitude from the survivors he saved, represents a tangible connection to his bravery and the tragic events of that night.
The RMS Carpathia was sailing from New York to the Mediterranean when a radio operator heard a distress call from the Titanic in the early hours of April 15, 1912. Captain Rostron was awakened in his cabin and immediately ordered the ship to change course and head at full speed toward the doomed liner, navigating through icebergs to reach the site. By the time the Carpathia arrived, the Titanic had sunk, and over 1,500 people had perished.
The inscription on the watch serves as a poignant reminder of the lives saved. It lists Mrs. John B. Thayer, Mrs. John Jacob Astor, and Mrs. George D. Widener, the widows of prominent businessmen who perished when the Titanic sank.
The sale price of £1.56 million includes taxes and fees paid by the buyer. The watch's new owner, a private collector in the United States, acquired a piece of history that continues to captivate the public's imagination.
Andrew Aldridge emphasized that prices of Titanic-related artifacts are rising significantly. "For collectors, it's a different animal; they are interested in people," he said. "The sale demonstrates the 'enduring fascination' with the story of the Titanic."
The Titanic disaster remains one of the most infamous maritime tragedies in history. The ship sank in the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912, after striking an iceberg, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,500 passengers and crew members, with just 705 survivors.
Captain Rostron's pocket watch is not only a valuable artifact but also a testament to courage and humanity in the face of disaster. The watch's history and the stories it embodies continue to resonate more than a century later.
The record-breaking sale reflects the increasing prices for Titanic artifacts, driven by an ever-decreasing supply and ever-increasing demand. Collectors and historians alike remain fascinated by the personal stories connected to the tragedy, and items such as Captain Rostron's watch serve as tangible links to the past.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq