Watch melted in Hiroshima atomic bomb blast sells for over $31,000
FILE - Wristwatch from Hiroshima atomic bombing sells for more than $30K at auction. (RR Auction)
A watch that melted during the August 6, 1945, atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, was sold for more than $31,000 at auction.
The watch’s appearance shows evidence that it was frozen in time at the moment when the B-29 Enola Gay dropped the "Little Boy" atomic bomb – 8:15 a.m.
The winning bid in the auction that ended Thursday was $31,113, according to Boston-based RR Auction.
The watch was recovered from the ruins of Hiroshima and offers a glimpse into the immense destruction of the first atomic bomb detonated over a city.
"The consignor affirms he had been informed a British soldier recovered this watch when he was dispatched to Hiroshima to provide emergency supplies and survey post-conflict reconstruction requirements while at the Prefectural Promotion Hall in Hiroshima. In 2015, an anonymous collector offered it for sale at the JP Humbert auction house in England. It was purchased and eventually sold to the consignor," RR Auction said.
The small brass-tone watch, a rare survivor from the blast zone, was auctioned alongside other historically significant items, according to the auction house.
"It is our fervent hope that this museum-quality piece will stand as a poignant educational symbol, serving to not only remind us of the tolls of war but also to underscore the profound, destructive capabilities that humanity must strive to avoid," said Bobby Livingston, executive vice president at RR Auction. "This wristwatch, for instance, marks the exact moment in time when history changed forever."
The winning bidder opted to remain anonymous.
Other items featured in the auction included a signed copy of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong's "The Little Red Book," which sold for $250,000; a signed check from George Washington — one of two known checks signed as president to ever come to market — which sold for $135,473; and Buzz Aldrin’s Apollo 11 Lunar Module Prep Checklist, which sold for $76,533, according to RR Auction.
The Associated Press Contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.