A gold pocket watch given to Arthur Rostron, captain of the RMS Carpathia, the ship that rescued over 700 survivors from the Titanic disaster, has sold for 2 million dollars, setting a record for any item linked to the tragedy. The 18-karat Tiffany & Co. watch was presented to Rostron by the widow of John Jacob Astor, the wealthiest man who perished in the disaster, along with the widows of two other affluent businessmen who also went down with the ship. They gifted the watch in gratitude for Rostron’s heroic efforts after the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic during its maiden voyage in 1912.
Auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son, who sold the watch to a private collector in the United States (U.S.) on Saturday, confirmed it as the most expensive Titanic-related artifact ever sold.
Astor’s personal pocket watch, which was recovered from his body seven days after the ship sank, had previously set the record in April for the highest price paid for a Titanic artifact – nearly 1.5 million dollars.
Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge noted that the two record-breaking sales of Titanic items this year highlight the enduring fascination with the story of the ship’s sinking.
Rostron was hailed as a hero for his actions on the night of the Titanic disaster. U.S. President William Howard Taft awarded him the Congressional Gold Medal, and King George V later knighted him.
The RMS Carpathia was en route from New York to the Mediterranean when its operator received Titanic’s distress call in the early hours of April 15th, 1912. Rostron immediately turned the ship around and steamed at full speed through icy waters to reach the Titanic.
By the time the RMS Carpathia arrived, the Titanic had already sunk, and more than 1.500 people had died. However, the crew found 20 lifeboats filled with survivors, rescued over 700 passengers, and transported them safely to New York.
