The modern man’s timepiece is one of a limited edition of only 200 ever made by the leading high-end watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre in 2008. It is expected to fetch between £30,000 and £40,000 and is the type of watch normally sold by top London jewelers. It was consigned by a client with long-term links with the Essex auction house.
Guy Schooling, Sworders’ managing director, said, “This beautifully made item is absolutely extraordinary. It has a very complicated mechanism, is minute repeating and is made out of titanium. We have never seen this type of watch at auction before, so it’s an exciting piece for us to sell.
“We have the highest number of top quality watches we have ever listed in this sale – ranging from vintage to modern, and including another rare timepiece from the exclusive watchmaker, Patek Philippe. This 18K gold watch is expected to sell for between £4,000 and £5,000.”
Another highlight of the silver and jewelry sale is an unusual ceremonial silver tankard from Norway, made at the time when the country was under Danish rule.
The peg tankard, which has been in a Norfolk family for a number of decades, dates back to the 17th century. It stands about 20cm high and depicts a bear hunting scene involving men on horseback and the bear attacking a fallen victim.
Peg tankards were designed for ceremonial toasts where a number of people would drink from the same cup. Inside the vessel is a series of spaced pegs marking the amount of liquid to be taken by each participant and is thought to be the origin of the saying, “to take down a peg or two.” The tankard is expected to fetch between £6,000 and £10,000.
Schooling said, “We are seeing some impressive pieces at this silver and jewelry sale, including an early spoon dating back to 1713. The rare Queen Anne trefid spoon was made in Honiton, Devon. This is unusual because at that time spoons of this type were more commonly made in London and bear that mark, rather than from a more obscure regional center.”
Sworders’ silver and jewelry sale will take place at the company’s Stansted Mountfitchet auction rooms on Tuesday, Nov. 25, starting at 10 a.m.
View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
