Tiffany & Co. pocket watch, Titanic memorabilia, sold back to the brand at auction for $1.97 million.
Tiffany & Co. set a new record price for historic Titanic memorabilia when, at a recent auction, it purchased back an historic Tiffany 18-karat gold pocket watch for $1.97 million. The timepiece, while not actually on the Titanic, had been presented to Captain Arthur H. Rostron of the R.M.S. Carpathia, by three women who survived the 1912 disaster and were rescued by the Carpathia.
Madeleine Talmage Astor, Marian Longstreth Thayer and Eleanor Elkins Widener were brought aboard the Carpathia, which rescued nearly 700 passengers from the sea when the Titanic struck an iceberg. In gratitude and to commemorate the captain’s rescues, Widener purchased the Tiffany & Co. timepiece.
It was presented to Captain Rostron at a luncheon hosted by Astor in New York City, and attended by fellow survivors. The pocket watch’s caseback is engraved with the inscription: “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”. The enameled monogram ‘AHR’ further personalizes the piece.
Tiffany & Co. pocket watch was gifted to the captain of the Carpathia, which rescued nearly 700 Titanic survivors.
Christopher Young, Vice President of Creative Visual Merchandising, Events, and The Tiffany Archives, expressed the significance of the acquisition: “Captain Rostron’s pocket watch is an incredible expression of thanks and gratitude, and we are humbled to welcome this extraordinary treasure home to Tiffany & Co.”
The auction, conducted by Henry Aldridge and Son Ltd, underscored the watch’s unique provenance and historical importance. Managing Director Andrew Aldridge reflected on the emotional weight of the sale: “Every man, woman and child on the Titanic had a story to tell, and we tell those stories a century later through their memorabilia. The fact that Tiffany & Co. purchased the piece 112 years after selling it completes the circle.”
The acquisition highlights Tiffany & Co.’s rich watchmaking legacy, which began in 1847 and included opening a Geneva Manufacture in 1874, where the House produced intricate timepieces adorned with enamel and gemstones.
