When Tiffany & Co. buys a Tiffany, it’s bound to make headlines. The American jeweler acquired the ‘Titanic’ pocket watch for $1.97 million. This historic timepiece belonged to the captain of the R.M.S. Carpathia, the ship credited with saving nearly 700 passengers from the ill-fated Titanic in 1912. By paying close to $2 million for this century-old treasure, Tiffany & Co. added a remarkable piece of history to its collection.
This acquisition is one of the most expensive Titanic-themed memorabilia ever sold at auction. A close second was the gold pocket watch of John Jacob Astor IV, the wealthiest businessman aboard the Titanic, which fetched $1.5 million at a sale by Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, Wiltshire, earlier this year. Just a month after that sale, a 55-pound piece of coal recovered from the Titanic wreck site went up for sale for $500,000.
The sale of the Tiffany & Co. pocket watch, owned by the man responsible for saving hundreds of Titanic survivors, demonstrates the enduring fascination with the historic ship. This watch also carries a deeply touching backstory. It was gifted to Captain Rostron by three Titanic survivors, Mrs. Madeleine Talmage Astor (wife of John Jacob Astor IV), Mrs. Marian Longstreth Thayer (wife of John B. Thayer), and Mrs. Eleanor Elkins Widener (wife of George D. Widener). These widows from New York’s high society presented the watch as a gesture of heartfelt gratitude.
According to Hodinkee, the inscription inside the caseback 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.” As was typical of early 1900s ultra-thin men’s pocket watches, this example reflects exquisite craftsmanship.
Compared to today’s astronomically priced watches, this early 20th-century Tiffany creation has earned its place as the most expensive piece of Titanic memorabilia ever sold, and deservedly so.
