A gold pocket watch that was awarded to the captain who rescued 700 Titanic survivors fetched for almost $2million at auction.
As per multiple outlets, the 18-carat Tiffany & Co. watch was gifted to Captain Arthur Rostron by three female survivors, the widow of John Jacob Astor, the richest victim of the disaster and the widows of two other wealthy businessmen who died with the ship.
This watch was given to him in appreciation for diverting his ship, the RMS Carpathia, to rescue them and other passengers.
The inscription of the watch reads, “It was given with the heartfelt gratitude and appreciation of three survivors.” It includes the names of Mrs. John B. Thayer and Mrs. George D. Widener alongside Astor’s married name.
The Titanic struck an iceberg and sank about 400 miles from Newfoundland, claiming the lives of over 1,500 passengers.
Rostron received the US Congressional Gold Medal by President William Howard Taft and was later knighted by King George V.
Auctioneers Henry Aldridge and Son, who sold the watch to a private collector in the United States on Saturday, stated that it is the most expensive piece of Titanic memorabilia.
Previously, Astor’s pocket watch, recovered from his body a week after the ship sank had set the record for the highest price paid for Titanic memorabilia, selling for nearly $1.5 million.
