Clocks, Watches & Jewellery

The Fifty Fathoms diving watch was born in the 1950s from the encounter between the Swiss firm Blancpain and the French Ministry of Defence.

An Oscar de la Renta orange flower vintage necklace offered for £385 is one of the highlights of an exhibition celebrating five decades of costume jewellery held at The Design Gallery.

London auction shows the collecting appeal and opportunities for silver produced beyond Europe

Demonstrating the continued interest in pocket watches by most renowned English makers, two Georgian watches, one signed for Thomas Earnshaw and the other for Thomas Mudge, achieved strong results for regional salerooms on the same day in March.

This parcel gilt silver cased cheval clock by Thomas Cole (1800-64) is hallmarked for London 1850 and the maker John Samuel Hunt of Hunt & Roskell.

This 18ct gold pocket watch by Charles Frodsham with accompanying chain (offered separately) was presented by Sir Victor Horsley (1857-1916) to the man he credited for saving his son’s life.

A Rolex used by Spanish sailor and scientist Vital Alsar Ramirez (1933-2020) during his Amazon and Atlantic expeditions in 1977 sold for £10,000 at Halls (24% buyer’s premium).

The digital museum Clocktime opened last month with an event at the Royal Academy of Engineering, London.

Castings on Charles I era lantern clock suggests the work of William Bowyer

Just as rich Europeans coveted Chinese porcelain and lacquer in the 18th and 19th century, so the Chinese were fascinated by Western horology.

Raymond and Suzanne Fischoff-La Foux were a Parisian society couple.

A trio of lots relating to Charles Dickens offered at Chichester saleroom Stride & Son (18% buyer’s premium) included a presentation pocket watch.

Beneath the simple ‘1950s dress watch’ styling, the Jaeger LeCoultre Geophysic hides a lot of post-war tech.

Introduced in 1960, the Bulova Accutron 214 was one of the electronic trailblazers.

Watches with provenance will naturally command a premium.

Brand names are everything in watch collecting.

The wristwatch, which began to replace the pocket watch in the First World War, really came into its own with the production of bespoke ‘tool’ watches for submariners and airmen later in the century