Frozen in time: Melted wristwatch that stopped when US dropped nuclear bomb on Hiroshima in August 1945 is set to sell for up to $20,000 – as Oppenheimer cleans up at the BAFTAs
A wristwatch that stopped working when the United States dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945 is set to fetch at least $20,000 at auction.
The hands of the melted clock are frozen at 8:15 a.m., the moment the bomb – dubbed Little Boy – dropped by the B-29 bomber Enola Gay, exploded.
The devastating attack on the city in southwestern Japan in August 1945 caused the deaths of as many as 130,000 Japanese men, women and children.
According to the seller, who wished to remain anonymous, the watch was recovered by a British soldier sent to Hiroshima to help deliver emergency supplies and oversee reconstruction.
The watch is being sold following the publicity generated by Christopher Nolan’s film Oppenheimer, which last night won seven BAFTAs, including Best Film and Best Director.
It tells the life story of troubled scientist Robert J. Oppenheimer, who led the development of the atomic bomb at Los Alamos in New Mexico.
A wristwatch that stopped working when the United States dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945 will fetch at least $20,000 (£16,000) at auction
The devastating attack on the city in August 1945 caused the deaths of as many as 130,000 Japanese men, women and children
The watch was first offered for sale in England in 2015. It has been purchased by the current owner.
It was found amid the ruins of the Hiroshima Prefectural Promotion Hall.
It is being sold through the American auction house RR Auction, based in Amherst, New Hampshire.
Online bidding, which has so far pushed the price to $18,700 (14,800), ends on February 23.
Bobby Livingston, executive vice president at RR Auction, said, “Auctioning artifacts like these is not just about the items themselves; it’s about preserving the stories they carry and ensuring that the lessons of history are not forgotten.
“For example, this wristwatch marks the exact moment in time when history changed forever.”
It was found amid the ruins of the Hiroshima Prefectural Promotion Hall
The watch is being sold through the American auction house RR Auction, based in Amherst, New Hampshire
It was later estimated that 70 percent of the buildings in Hiroshima had been destroyed. At least 70,000 people were killed in the immediate moments after the bomb exploded, with more deaths to follow later
The watch is being sold following the publicity generated by Christopher Nolan’s film Oppenheimer, which won seven BAFTAs last night, including Best Film and Best Director. It tells the life story of troubled scientist Robert J. Oppenheimer, who led the development of the atomic bomb at Los Alamos in New Mexico.
The bomb, named Little Boy, was dropped by the crew (pictured) of the B-29 bomber named Enola Gay and was the first nuclear weapon used in warfare after successful tests carried out by the US.
The ‘mushroom cloud’ that rose into the sky after the explosion of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima can be seen above
Enola Gay lands after its infamous mission to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima in August 1945
In the research program called the Manhattan Project, the US defeated Nazi Germany and Japan in developing the atomic bomb.
The first test was conducted in New Mexico in July 1945.
After the moment of explosion, Oppenheimer quoted from Hindu scriptures and said, “I have become death, destroyer of worlds.”
The US then chose to use the technology on Japan after the country’s leaders refused to surrender following the defeat of Nazi Germany in May 1945.
The crew of Enola Gay carried out their mission to bomb Hiroshima on August 6.
The bomb was detonated at an altitude of 1,750 feet and destroyed an area of approximately 7.7 square kilometers.
It was later estimated that 70 percent of the buildings in Hiroshima had been destroyed.
At least 70,000 people were killed in the immediate moments after the bomb exploded, with more deaths following later.
Three days later, the US dropped a second nuclear weapon – Fat Man – on the city of Nagasaki.
It was an act that claimed at least 40,000 more lives and eventually forced the Japanese to surrender, ending World War II.
The bomb was detonated at an altitude of 1,750 feet and destroyed an area of approximately 7.7 square kilometers. Above: The aftermath of the attack
Truman responded nonchalantly, saying, “It doesn’t matter. It will come out in the wash.”
He later told his aides that Oppenheimer was “a crybaby scientist,” adding, “I never want to see that son of a bitch in this office again.”
Oppenheimer left Los Alamos in early October 1945 with intense guilt. When he met President Harry Truman in the Oval Office, he told him, “I feel like I have blood on my hands.”
Truman responded nonchalantly, saying, “It doesn’t matter. It will come out in the wash.”
He later told his aides that Oppenheimer was “a crybaby scientist,” adding, “I never want to see that son of a bitch in this office again.”