A pocket was recovered from a man's body during the rescue mission of the Titanic. The watch, stuck in time, will be auctioned 113 years after the ship sank.
RMS Titanic was a British ocean liner that sank in the early hours of April 15, 1912, taking away the lives of approximately 1500 passengers out of the 2224 people present on the ship. Operated by White Star Line, the cruise carried some of the wealthiest people from across the globe, who soon became a distant memory. However, a pocket watch, stuck in time when the ship sank, was recovered from a man's body and will soon be up for auction.
According to reports, a woman's pocket watch was recovered from the personal effects of a man named Hans Christensen Givard. Hans was a 27-year-old Danish second-class passenger who passed away in the incident. However, the watch was recovered and will now be sold for as much as GBP 50,000 (approximately EUR 58,000 or USD 66,000) when it goes under the hammer at Henry Aldridge and Son on April 26, 2025.
The pocket watch bears traces of corrosion caused by seawater. The watch was recovered from Givard's body, who was found in the Northern Atlantic after the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912. The auctioneer at Henry Aldridge and Son, Andrew Aldridge, shared the details about the antique watch and revealed that the watch was frozen in time when its mechanism came in contact with the Atlantic's cold water. He was quoted as saying:
"The mechanism of the watch is frozen in time, at the moment when the cold waters of the North Atlantic swallowed not only its owner but also the most famous transatlantic ship of all time, the Titanic, on April 15, 1912."
Hans Christensen Givard's belongings were sent to his brother in Denmark after his body and things were recovered. The pocket watch has remained in the family since then. However, his descendants have now decided to sell the pocket watch. According to the reports, the watch was one of the central pieces at Tivoli's 2012 commemorative exhibition in Copenhagen. Curated by Claes Goran Wetterholm, the watch's inclusion in the exhibition demonstrated its historical importance.
The upcoming auction of Hans Christensen Givard's pocket watch is expected to bring in a lot of attention. The reports suggest that the watch is of keen interest to collectors and Titanic enthusiasts. The over 100-year-old pocket watch is one of the few tangible connections to one of the most historic maritime disasters. However, this won't be the first item that has been auctioned from the Titanic. Henry Aldridge and Son have previously also auctioned a pocket watch that belonged to the richest man on the Titanic, American businessman, John Jacob Astor. The watch was found in his pocket after his body was recovered from the depths of the ocean. It was sold for GBP 900,000.
What are your thoughts on the pocket watch from Titanic being auctioned?
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