A pocket watch recovered from a victim of the 1912 Titanic disaster is set to go under the hammer later this month and could fetch as much as €50,000 (approximately $66,000).
The timepiece belonged to Hans Christensen Givard, a 27-year-old Danish passenger who died when the Titanic struck an iceberg during its maiden voyage across the Atlantic.
Givard had been travelling to the United States with two friends, all of whom perished in the tragedy that claimed over 1,500 lives.
When his body was retrieved from the North Atlantic and later buried in Halifax, Canada, several personal items were found in his pockets—including a savings book, keys, cash, a silver watch, a compass, a passport, and notably, a gilded ladies’ pocket watch bearing signs of saltwater corrosion.
According to auctioneer Andrew Aldridge, the artifact is a rare and poignant relic of one of the world’s most well-known maritime disasters.
“This piece is documented in the official list of Hans’s effects compiled by the authorities in Halifax shortly after the tragedy,” Aldridge said. “The movement of the watch is frozen in time—literally capturing the moment the icy waters consumed both its owner and the Titanic itself.”
The watch and other effects were returned to Givard’s brother in Denmark after the disaster. His descendants have preserved them for generations and are now placing the pocket watch up for sale at the Henry Aldridge and Son auction house in Devizes, Wiltshire, on April 26.
The timepiece also features in Titanic, De Danske Fortællinger (Titanic, The Danish Stories), a book co-authored by Titanic curator Jesper Hjermind and his niece, U.S.-based journalist Mette Hjermind McCall.
It was showcased as a centerpiece during a 2012 exhibition of Titanic memorabilia at Tivoli in Copenhagen.
“This is more than just a watch,” said Hjermind. “It’s a deeply personal artifact that tells a story of loss, remembrance, and the enduring legacy of the Titanic.”
