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Swiss watchmaker Omega is the second most popular brand in the horological universe after you know who. They are a manufacturer with an incredibly rich history featuring important connections with ocean exploration, space travel, elite level sport and stars of stage and screen, including a certain Mr Bond.
Without question, each and every watch auction with Fellows will have available a number of Omega watches, ranging from affordable dress watches to the most collectable of vintage sports models like this house-record-breaking Speedmaster reference 2998-1.
September’s Luxury Watch Sale was no exception and amongst the Omega section, was an interesting, limited-edition piece worth a closer look – A Speedmaster Reduced AC Milan chronograph wristwatch.
AC Milan Speedmaster watch
As many watch enthusiasts will have noticed over the years, Omega is no stranger to the “Limited Edition” game. In fact, if you were a bit cynical, you might sometimes wonder if the non-limited edition examples of some models are now rarer! Not so with the AC Milan Speedmaster. Until 2022, we had never seen an AC Milan Speedmaster at Fellows. It sold for £2,340.
What does “reduced” mean?
First things first, let’s clear up the “Reduced” part of the watch’s name. This does not in any way allude to a January sale, everything must go, special-offer price tag. It is in recognition of the reduced case size. It measures 39mm – down from the 42mm of its big brother, the Professional. Available for around 20 years, the Reduced provided a smaller and lower-cost alternative to its manual wind “Moonwatch”. Omega produced a wide array of styles during this period. From solid yellow gold, bi-metal, bracelet and leather straps, to date, moonphase, and even a perpetual calendar.
History of the AC Milan Speedmaster
The AC Milan Speedmaster Reduced is built upon the stainless steel version. Omega released the watch in 1999 on the 100th anniversary of the historic football club from Northern Italy. One of the most loved clubs across the world, AC Milan was actually the creation of two English expats. Alfred Edwards and Herbert Kilpin came up with the idea during a particularly boozy night in the city’s Fiaschetteria Toscana tavern. This, incidentally, explains why the name of the club takes the English translation “Milan” rather than the Italian “Milano”. The team’s home colours of red and black have remained unchanged since its inception. They are rumoured to have been chosen to represent their feisty spirit and the opposition’s fear of facing them. With 18 FIFA and UEFA trophies under their belt, maybe other clubs are right to be scared!
Features of the AC Milan Speedmaster
The watch itself showcases the classic Speedmaster styling with a black dial and matching tachymeter bezel, with subsidiary recorder dials to three, six and nine. Above the hour counter at six in red text are the centenary years of 1899-1999. The case back is adorned with a football motif and the words 100 Milan 1899-1999, and being limited edition, its unique number is also displayed. In this instance, this watch is no. 1586 of 1999. Inside the case is the Omega calibre 3220 which, unlike Speedmaster Professional models, is automatic. It is essentially an ETA 2892 with a Dubois Depraz chronograph module. Although it is not the most popular engine with watchmakers come service time, it is very good workhorse nonetheless.
Currently fitted to a signed black leather strap, the watch has a smart casual look. But, with the inclusion of both a bracelet and NATO-style strap, it can be dressed up or down depending on the situation.
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Posted in Watches
Tagged ac milan, Football, Football memorabilia, omega, omegawatches, Speedmaster, watch, watches
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A Manchester City English (FA) Cup medal awarded to William (Billy) Marsden Holmes in 1904 is set to catch the eye of football fans in our upcoming auction.
The historic medal was given out to the footballer for winning Manchester City’s first ever major honour, 24 years after they were established as a football club.
Awarded to Holmes after the English Cup final, it has an estimate of £5,000 – £8,000. The medal is likely to fetch more including fees.
The piece of sport memorabilia is Lot 392 in our Silver, Coins & Medals timed auction which takes place on Tuesday 1 March. Based in Birmingham and London, we will post the lot anywhere in the world to the winning bidder for free.
An inscription on the medal reads ‘MANCHESTER CITY F.C. WINNERS OF ENGLISH CUP 1903-04 W.HOLMES’.
History of Billy Holmes
The 1904 English Cup was one of the most important tournaments in the history of Manchester football. It marked the first time a Manchester side reached the latter stages of the competition. it was also the first ever major honour given out to a Manchester football team.
Billy Holmes (1875 – 1922), was born in Derbyshire. He played over 150 matches for the current Premier League champions between 1896 and 1904, scoring four goals.
Nicknamed ‘Doc’, Holmes’ fearless attitude made him one of the best defenders in the sport.
The defender played in the quarter and semi-final of the 1904 English Cup. Furthermore, he battled Samuel Bolton Ashworth for his position.
The Final
According to football author and historian Tony Matthews, Billy Holmes was not selected for the final against Bolton Wanderers. The footballer was so frustrated to be left out that he threw his boots through the dressing room window (Matthews, 2013).[1]
Manchester City defeated Sunderland, Woolwich Arsenal, Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday to reach the final.
The final took place at Crystal Palace on Saturday 23 April 1904. It was attended by then Prime Minister Arthur Balfour and legendary cricketer W.G. Grace. Over 60,000 fans were in attendance.
Despite Holmes’ anger at losing his place, Manchester City dominated the enthralling encounter. A solitary goal by renowned superstar William Meredith won Manchester City the match 1-0.
Billy Holmes was then awarded his medal, before continuing to play for Manchester City until the end of the same year.
Holmes went on to play for and then manage Leyton (formerly Clapton) Orient from 1907 until 1922. He died in 1922 whilst still manager of the east London club.
The Auction
The esteemed footballer’s 15 carat gold winning medal is included amongst over 400 lots. Moreover, the medal was brought to Fellows by an unnamed private seller.
Alison Jakeway, Silver Specialist at Fellows Auctioneers, said: “Billy Holmes’ English Cup winning medal is a piece of sporting history.
“The medal was given out following the first ever major competition win for a football team from the city of Manchester. It’s a real privilege to include the medal in our Silver, Coins & Medals sale.
Manchester City are not only the current English champions but they are also one of the best football teams in the world at the moment, so I am sure there will be many enthusiastic customers who are desperate to win this at auction.”
Valuations
Our valuations are free, with no obligation to sell with us. Our experts will value your item with an estimate, so you can find out what it could achieve at auction.
The process is simple, so you can get a valuation now:
Fill in a form online. In addition, you can book an appointment to visit our offices in Birmingham and London. Moreover, you can book a virtual valuation appointment.
[1] Matthews, Tony. Manchester City Player by Player. Amberley Publishing Limited, 2013.
The stopwatch used by English referee Jack Taylor to time the 1974 World Cup final has fetched a total of £4,210.80 (including fees) at Fellows Auctioneers in Birmingham.
The timer was used by Wolverhampton-born Taylor to time the fastest goal ever scored in a World Cup final – the penalty by Johan Neeskens in the second minute. This goal was also the first ever penalty awarded in a World Cup final.
The Omega stopwatch used by Jack Taylor in the 1974 World Cup final
The stopwatch contains engravings including the official 1974 World Cup logo and Jack Taylor’s initials. It was entered into auction at Fellows by Taylor’s family.
Three separate internet bidders from Fellows Live and The Saleroom were interested in the lot – with the eventual winner triumphing at approximately 11:55 am on Monday 14th June.
The hammer price of the item was £3,300, and the full price including fees was £4,210.80.
The item was Lot 175 in the Luxury Watch Sale, a live auction which took place in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham. Its auction estimate was £3,000 – £5,000.
The 1974 World Cup final took place in Munich, with West Germany emerging as winners in a 2-1 victory.
Johan Cruyff, Gerd Müller, and Franz Beckenbauer all participated in the match, with it often being mentioned as the biggest and most important match in referee Jack Taylor’s career.
After awarding a penalty to the Netherlands in the first minute, before a German player had even touched the ball, Jack Taylor recalled that Franz Beckenbauer approached him and said “Taylor, you’re an Englishman.”
Taylor, born and raised in Wolverhampton, can be seen using the stopwatch in various videos and images of the match. He is one of only three Englishmen to have refereed a World Cup final.
It is not known why Taylor was able to keep the stopwatch, although it is likely that he was gifted it by FIFA.
Jack Taylor and his favourite Greyhound. Photo courtesy of the Taylor Family
The stopwatch includes “J.T” and the World Cup 1974 logo on the back
He gave the stopwatch to his daughter, Jayne Willis, over forty years ago. It has remained – untouched – in a cabinet since the 1980s.
The watch still works, and it comes in its original Omega box, which also contains the name of the referee.
Measuring 54mm in diameter, and with a mechanical, hand-wound movement, the item could be viewed in both Birmingham and London prior to the sale. Fellows also offered free shipping on its purchase.
Jack Taylor took charge of more than 1,000 competitive matches over a 33-year career, including the 1966 FA Cup final and the 1971 European Cup final.
In 2013 he became the first referee to be inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame, after previously being inducted into the FIFA Hall of Fame in 1999.
He passed away in Shropshire in 2012, aged 82.
Steven Yambo, Senior Watch Specialist at Fellows Auctioneers, said: “It is a delight to auction such a precious and significant piece of footballing history. Jack Taylor was one of the most esteemed English referees who was involved in some huge football matches, although this was certainly the biggest.
We received multiple bids from three different bidders on this lot and I am glad that the stopwatch was sought-after. It is in a very good, working condition for its age and the winning bidder has acquired an exquisite and historic item.”
Posted in All, News, Watches
Tagged Football, footballref, jacktaylor, omega, omegastopwatch, ref, referee, watch, worldcup
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An 18ct gold diamond England crest brooch which belonged to a former West Bromwich Albion and Football Association chairman has sold for £1,202.40 (including fees) at Fellows Auctioneers, in Birmingham. The brooch was formerly owned by Sir Frederick Albert ‘Bert’ Millichip and Lady Barbara Millichip, and was subject to a fierce bidding war during Fellows’ Fine Jewellery sale. The stunning brooch, with 1996 hallmarks – the year Sir Bert retired from the Football Association – sold as Lot 275 at approximately 2:15pm on Thursday 30th January 2020. Against an estimate of £600 – £800, the brooch sold for a hammer price of £900 (£1,202.40 including fees).
The brooch was brought to Fellows Auctioneers by Sally Simmonds, daughter of Sir Bert and Lady Millichip, and was placed into Fellows’ first flagship jewellery auction of the year. Lady Millichip regularly wore the brooch, until she sadly passed away in 2015. The brooch, shaped like a shield, has an estimated total diamond weight of 1ct, is of G-H colour, and has VS-SI clarity. With a length of 3.7cms and a weight of 14.8gms, the brooch has the famous three lion markings which are symbolic of the England national football team. Multiple bids were placed on the brooch, with an internet bidder eventually winning the item formerly owned by Sir Bert, much to the delight of Fellows.
An 18ct gold diamond Football Association shield brooch. Once in the collection of Lady Barbara Millichip and Sir Frederick Albert Millichip.
Sir Bert had a long career spanning many decades working in football. He became chairman of West Bromwich Albion in 1974, before eventually going on to work for the FA. Initially, he was councillor before becoming chairman of the FA, a post he held from 1981–1996. Sir Bert was chairman of the FA throughout some of the most drastic changes in English football history, such as the introduction of the Premier League. He was also heavily involved in the appointment of England managers, including Terry Venables. Sir Bert received a knighthood for his services to the game in 1991. He passed away in 2002.
Alex Duffy, Jewellery Specialist from Fellows Auctioneers, said: “After an online stand-off between bidders, it was fantastic to see the brooch sell so well. It’s always a pleasure to be able to offer unusual and unique items such as this for auction, watching as the enthusiasts and collectors fight it out. With its interesting provenance and sporting connections it’s unlikely we’ll see something quite like this come up again anytime soon.”
Talk to me about the Speedmaster Reduced ‘AC Milan’ watch…