A gold pocket watch presented to the captain of a boat which rescued more than 700 passengers from the Titanic has sold for a record-breaking £1.56 million. The previous record was set in April when another gold pocket watch, recovered from the body of the richest man on the ship, John Jacob Astor, sold for £1.175 million at the same auction house. The watch was presented to the captain of a boat which rescued more than 700 passengers from the Titanic (Henry Aldridge and Son auctioneer/PA)Both sale figures include fees and taxes paid by the buyer, the auctioneers said. The watch sold on Saturday was given to Captain Rostron by Mrs Astor and two other widows of high-profile and wealthy businessmen, who were also lost when the vessel sank. Captain Rostron received the gift from Mr Astor’s wife at a lunch at the family’s mansion on Fifth Avenue, New York, according to the auction house.
