Item withdrawn – BEIJING WATCH CO. – People’s Liberation Army ‘Medal’ bracelet watch.

Lot 173 BEIJING WATCH CO. – a gentleman’s stainless steel People’s Liberation Army ‘Medal’ bracelet watch.

A statement from Fellows Auctioneers:

A watch given to troops by the Communist Party Beijing Committee and Beijing Municipal Government following the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests was listed as Lot 173 in the Luxury Watch Sale at on Monday 19th April.

It was given to a member of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and the words inscribed on the watch include “89.6 In Commemoration of Quelling the Rebellion”.

In the process of consigning this item to auction, our team undertook a large amount of research to verify the provenance of this piece. To the best of our knowledge, the vendor is not associated with the PLA, nor the Chinese government.

As an auction house, we often sell items with history. We believed this item is of international interest. It was a reminder of the events of June 1989. In the past we have sold war medals from all sides of global conflicts, a ring commemorating the regicide of Charles I, and watches acquired from prisoners of war. It is not our place to comment on events of the past. It is important for us to shine a light on historical events and report upon them in a respectful and unbiased manner.

Threats made on social media against the owner of this watch, has caused the vendor to express concerns about their safety. We have taken the decision to remove this watch from auction.