Citylife in Lichfield September 2023

Time flies as watches exceed £35,000 at Lichfield auction
By Ben Winterton, Richard Winterton Auctioneers
Wristwatches have been a popular accessory for
more than 100 years.
Styles and designs have changed and timepieces have
evolved from simply telling the time and date to
incorporating all kinds of features for exploration,
emergency and professional sport.
Recently at The Lichfield Auction Centre we were
delighted to offer pieces from a handful of private watch
collections which ticked all the boxes for timepiece
connoisseurs and sold for more than £35,000.
Ranging from a detailed assembly of niche and unusual
vintage wristwatches to a collection of stunning prestige
luxury timepieces, the sale’s many highlights included a
model by esteemed German watchmaker A. Lange &
Söhne selling at £10,500.
A Breguet Classique wristwatch consigned by the
same local client made £4,400 and further highlights
included an IWC Schaffhausen Mark XII, sold at £2,900;
a Glashütte Original, sold at £2,800; and a vintage
Omega Seamaster chronograph, sold at £2,500.
Other collector’s timepieces included a 1970s
Aquastar Regate regatta watch with countdown timer
making £700 and a vintage Omega LED ‘time computer’,
which fetched £420.
The sale also featured models by Rolex, Tudor,
Hamilton, Tag Heuer, Oris, Seiko and Zenith.
With the whole sphere of collecting timepieces
comprehensively covered, the auction chimed with
watch connoisseurs from all over the world, with
hundreds watching the lots online before the sale got
underway.
That online interest continued throughout the live
auction, with more bidding in the room and over the
telephone leading to some fantastic hammer prices
achieved for our clients.
And the catalogue was also a great example of the
versatility of watch collecting.
An interest in horology could start at £5 or £10 (with
practically no upwards limit) but it's not about who buys
the most expensive, it is about purchasing and enjoying
what excites you.
Richard Winterton Auctioneers’ weekly Antiques &
Home Sales always feature watches and jewellery so it’s
well worth keeping an eye out – for our latest
catalogues, visit www.richardwinterton.co.uk/auctiondates.
For all enquiries about watches including free
valuations and advice, email
ben@richardwinterton.co.uk or telephone
01543 251081.
Free home visits are also available for large
collections and clearance quotations – email
office@richardwinterton.co.uk or telephone
the number above.
Watch specialist Ben Winterton examining one of
the collections of timepieces.
A vintage Omega
Seamaster
chronograph sold for
£2,500.
This A. Lange & Söhne
wristwatch sold for
£10,500.