Tiffany & Co. has acquired a storied piece of its own history with the purchase of an 18-karat gold pocket watch with ties to the 1912 Titanic voyage.
The watch, bought at auction in the UK, went for $2 million, breaking the record for the highest-valued piece of Titanic memorabilia sold to date, the jeweler said Tuesday. The legendary pocket watch highlights Tiffany’s horological history, dating back to the jewelry house’s first foray into retail timepieces in 1847.
The piece, originally commissioned by three Titanic survivors — Madeleine Talmage Astor, Marian Longstreth Thayer and Eleanor Elkins Widener — was a symbol of gratitude to Arthur H. Rostron, captain of the passenger ship the RMS Carpathia, famous for saving nearly 700 passengers during the Titanic disaster in 1912.
Astor presented the watch to Captain Rostron at her New York City residence, with fellow Titanic survivors in attendance.
It bears the inscription, “Presented to Captain Rostron with the heartfelt gratitude and appreciation of three survivors of the Titanic April 15th 1912, Mrs. John B. Thayer, Mrs. John Jacob Astor and Mrs. George D. Widener,” and the back of the timepiece is engraved with the monogram AHR.
“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.,” said Christopher Young, vice president of creative visual merchandising at the jeweler.
BRON: Rapaport 18-12-2024
