Tag Archives: scary

A one-of-one watch containing the corpse of a wolf spider could sell for £2,000 in our upcoming auction. The timepiece, by Swiss watchmaking brand ArtyA, is called a Son of Earth “Arachnophobia” watch. The case of ArtyA watches are often struck by lightning bolts or sculpted by an electric arc created by a Tesla coil. Further adding to the intrigue of the piece, the strap is designed using the skin of a cane toad. This is because according to legend lightning can’t harm the amphibian. With an estimate of £1,300 – £2,000, the watch is included as Lot 207 in our Luxury Watch Sale. Our auction takes place on Monday 16th August. The Brand ArtyA are an innovative Swiss watchmaking company founded by designer Yvan Arpa. The company use unconventional raw materials, as a result one-of-a-kind pieces not seen anywhere else in the world of horology are created. Some other watches by ArtyA feature real bullets, butterfly wings, and tobacco leaves. The arachnophobia watch was one of the early pieces produced in 2010. It includes a working automatic movement. Furthermore, a box in an almost unused condition is included with the lot. The spider is displayed with its legs spread across the dial and behind the time hands so the spookiness can be seen in detail. Another ArtyA watch which sports a skull motif centre, entitled “Mask of Evil”, features as Lot 208 in the same sale. Kes Crockett, Watch Specialist from Fellows Auctioneers, said: “This very unusual and eye-catching watch was created using techniques not seen anywhere else in the watchmaking industry. The high voltage lightning bolt around the case is particularly interesting. “There are some gold leafs and artistic colouring details on the face of the watch to go alongside the wolf spider in the middle of the item. The body of the spider is quite raised which adds a 3D effect to the watch. I have never and probably will never see an item featuring the corpse of a spider like this again. It’s certainly one of the most unique watches I have ever laid my eyes on.” The Luxury Watch Sale is our bi-monthly flagship watch auction. Hundreds of high-end watches from a variety of prestigious brands will be on offer. Moreover, the sale is our most grand auction of watches. There are selected viewing days in both London and Birmingham. Delivery of the item is free. 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. Book an appointment to visit our offices in Birmingham and London. Book a virtual valuation appointment.