Hampshire

The Longines WWW is deemed the second rarest of the ‘Dirty Dozen’. These watches, made by 12 different Swiss brands, were ordered by the British Ministry of Defence during the tail-end of the Second World War for issue to army ground personnel.

MADAM – I was interested to see the details of ‘grand reopenings’ on front and p4 of ATG No 2445.

By tradition, Count Heinrich von Brühl (1700-63), chief minister and favourite to Augustus III, was a man famed for his fashion sense. His tailor was thus an important part of his entourage.

A recent sale conducted by Michael Bowman (17.5% buyer’s premium) in Newton Abbot, Devon was a homespun affair – held in the auctioneer’s house, with his wife handling phone and commission bids and two assistants operating the bidding platforms remotely by way of a loudspeaker mobile phone link.

The Limerick-born painter Norman Garstin (1847-1926) was an engineer, architect, and a diamond prospector before he settled on art as a career.

Overseas interest fuelled bidding for two of the foreign offerings at Bellmans’ (22% buyer’s premium) Interiors sale in Winchester on February 12.

Scottish Colourist George Leslie Hunter (1877-1931) is best known for his strong and vibrant still-lifes but landscapes also feature significantly in his oeuvre – and collectors will spend big to acquire the highest-quality examples.

A dealer in the antiques-rich town of Petworth is launching a vintage, antiques and militaria fair in her hometown of Petersfield in Hampshire.

A pair of Russian Empire chairs, 1810-15, featuring striking decorative brass inlay is offered for £25,000 by Ellis Fine Art at the Petersfield Antiques Fair.

This pair of 19th century electroplated cups, offered by Andrew Smith & Son (21% buyer’s premium) in Alresford on December 11, is stamped for the noted Sydney silversmith Evan Jones (1846-1917).

Putting classic English furniture firmly back in the forefront of provincial sales in the first part of December was this Chippendale-design Gainsborough library armchair offered in Winchester by Andrew Smith (21% buyer’s premium).

Many figures involved in the booming 19th century art industry of livestock portraiture had no formal training.

Estimated at £400-600, a Chinese porcelain vase was bid to £1.3m at an auction in Hampshire last week.

Pitched at £500-800, this grand sonnerie carriage clock came with little information for bidders at Jacobs & Hunt’s (22% buyer’s premium) sale in Liss other than plentiful illustrations and the name C Marcks & Co, Bombay and Poona engraved to the silvered dial.

Dealer David Harvey of WR Harvey brings a remarkably versatile Regency games table, c.1815, to the upcoming Petersfield Antiques Fair.

Following “unprecedented demand”, a popular antiques and collectors’ marquee is set to return to this year’s three-day New Forest Show in Hampshire after it was not included in last year’s event.

As part of their first world tour, The Beatles played the Princess Theatre in Hong Kong twice in June 1964.