Watches with ties to ‘Titanic’ film and wreck site head to auction

Two watches with ties to the “Titanic” film and wreckage site will be up for auction during Sotheby’s “Important Watches” sale in December. 

The RMS Titanic tragically sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912, after hitting an iceberg. 

There were around 1,500 people who lost their lives during the sinking of the ship. 

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It was not until Sept. 1, 1985 that Dr. Robert Ballard and his team found the ship’s wreckage around 12,600 feet below the ocean’s surface off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

Since the discovery of the Titanic wreckage, fewer than 250 individuals have witnessed the site with their own eyes. 

One man who visited the Titanic wreckage site many times throughout his life is Alfred “Al” Giddings. 

Giddings was an underwater cinematographer, best known for his work on the Oscar-winning, James Cameron-directed “Titanic” film, which Giddings co-produced and worked on as the director of underwater photography. 

Giddings, known for movies like “The Deep,” “For Your Eyes Only” and “The Abyss,” went on 17 dives to the Titanic wreckage site in his life.

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Sotheby’s announced on Oct. 24 that two watches part of Giddings’ personal collection would be going up for auction on Dec. 6, 2024, as part of the “Important Watches” sale. 

This is the first time that the two Rolexes from his collection will appear at auction, according to Sotheby’s press release.

One of the watches that will be up for sale is a steel 1680 Submariner. 

The stainless steel, waterproof, automatic wristwatch was previously owned by Giddings and was worn on over a dozen dives to the Titanic, according to Sotheby’s press release. 

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The other watch that will be up for auction is a gold 1680 Submariner. 

The yellow gold wristwatch was another worn by Giddings and was also worn by actor Bill Paxton in the “Titanic” film.

The film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet quickly became a classic. It won several Academy Awards, including best picture in 1998. 

In the film, Paxton played Brock Lovett, a treasure hunter searching for the RMS Titanic.

Paxton’s role falls into the present day. The film is, in large part, a flashback.

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Paxton himself also visited the Titanic wreck with Cameron. The experience was caught on film for the 2003 documentary titled, “Ghosts of the Abyss.” 

“Al Giddings has lived an extraordinary life, brimming with experiences that only the most intrepid adventurers could dream of,” Sotheby’s press release said. “For fifty years, these watches have journeyed with him across the globe, from the icy realms of the North Pole to the profound depths of the ocean. No other timepieces boast such extensive underwater exposure, particularly the steel model, which has accumulated tens, if not hundreds of thousands of hours beneath the waves.”

“If there exists a maritime counterpart to a watch that has journeyed to the moon, these are it,” the press release said. “It is a privilege to present these remarkable treasures to the market for the first time, destined to captivate those who share a passion for history, adventure and exploration.”

Prior to the auction, the watches will be on display for public viewing at Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries in New York on Dec. 5.