An American buyer won the bidding war for John Jacob Astor IV's 14-carat gold Waltham pocket watch, shattering the auctioneer's pre-sale estimate of £150,000, according to Henry Aldridge & Son.

LONDON — A gold pocket watch given to the ship captain who rescued 700 survivors from the Titanic sold at auction for nearly $2 million, setting a record for memorabilia from the shipwreck.

The gold pocket watch, recognizing bravery of the captain who rescued 700 passengers from Titanic, has set an auction record. A gold pocket watch given to the ship captain who rescued 700 ...