Clocks, Watches & Jewellery

A Richard Winterton (20% buyer’s premium) sale in Lichfield included this 1973 Rolex Explorer II which sparked international interest.

From the middle of the 19th century, Parisian clockmaker Lévy Frères, which had established a workshop in the late 1820s, was a highly successful manufacturer of timepieces in the neo-rococo style.

After settling in to its new showroom in the West End, Koopman Rare Art has expanded its jewellery department.

Fellows’ Fine Jewellery sale in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter on September 30 includes an extraordinary collection of 63 mourning rings.

A recent sale at Wotton Auction Rooms (21.6% buyer’s premium) in Wotton-Under-Edge included this set of three yellow metal fobs set with carnelian intaglios.

The so-called Irish Crown Jewels or State Jewels of Ireland, were created in 1831 for the Sovereign and Grand Master of the Order of St Patrick. The order was established as an Irish equivalent of the English order of the Garter and the Scottish Order of the Thistle.

It is difficult to replicate the occasion of a royal themed auction. Ergo not everything that resurfaces on the market from the fabled ‘Princess Margaret’ sale at Christie’s in June 2006 shows a great appreciation in value.

Combining technical mastery with recurring motifs derived from nature, Pierre Sterlé’s (1905-1978) style is instantly recognisable.

His daring organic sculptural designs re-energised the British jewellery scene in post-war Britain, now Andrew Grima’s (1921-2007) creations are leading the revival of ‘60s and ‘70s designer jewellery on the secondary market.

By the mid-20th century several design houses were taking a more playful approach to zoomorphic jewellery.

A selection of four upcoming jewellery lots including a necklace comprising 21 cameos and intaglios previously owned by the Duke of Wellington.

This Victorian snake necklace is one of the best of its kind to appear on the regional market in recent memory.

A selection of sapphires that drew interest at auction over the last two months

Sapphire mining at the Yogo Gulch in Montana began in 1895 after a cigar box of pale blue gems picked from a creek by a local rancher found its way to Tiffany’s in New York, where an appraiser pronounced them “the finest precious gemstones ever found in the United States”.

The career course of Edith Robinson (1862-1929), a London art teacher and painter of chocolate box watercolours was changed in 1893 when she and her new husband, the Stamford artist Nelson Dawson (1859-1941) attended a series of lectures given by the enameller Alexander Fisher.

Stations, signal boxes and offices all depended on accurate timekeepers and just about every Victorian railway company commissioned clocks.

Watches with military associations carry a certain cachet with collectors.

It was second time lucky for a 17th century ring made to commemorate the death of King Charles I.

Maker, movement, case decoration, provenance, rarity and original condition are the factors that combine to create value in the clock market. Here Richard Fox discusses some of the best examples recently sold at auction with the views of specialists at Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Bonhams