Watches For War
Wednesday 12th August 2020
Live Webinar
To celebrate The Luxury Watch Auction, we invited watch aficionado, author and journalist Simon de Burton to share his knowledge and passion for rare watches with you. He explored the history of watches used in military settings from as far back as the 19th Century to the modern day.
Fellows sold a WWII Dirty Dozen set for £27,000 (£34,452 including fees) in the August 24th Luxury Watch auction, read more about this exceptional collection here.
In 2015, 100 years since Claude Lyons started the company, Vertex was re-incorporated by his great-grandson, Don Cochrane. We were privileged to be joined by Don Cochrane of Vertex Watches as a special guest. Who better to comment on the Dirty Dozen watches than the Chairman of Vertex? Find out more about this historic watchmaker as he talks to Simon de Burton about his company's history and future plans.
The Luxury Watch Sale, on 24th August, contained a full set of extremely rare Dirty Dozen watches
These historic timepieces, all designed by different Watch manufacturers, were commissioned by the British Ministry of Supply for the Military. They requested watches which were suitable for the British Army, Air Force and Navy, with manufacturers able to produce enough quantities within their capabilities. The watches were designed and delivered in 1944 and 1945.
Available as a special, single lot in the Luxury Watch auction on August 24th. The watches sold for a full price of £34,452.
Available as a special, single lot in the Luxury Watch auction on August 24th. The watches sold for a full price of £34,452.
Simon de Burton
Simon de Burton is a freelance journalist and author who has been writing about modern and vintage watches since 1998. A former employee of Sotheby’s, he is especially well known for his reporting of the watch auction scene and his previews, reviews and observations about horological sales appear in publications around the world. He has been the saleroom correspondent for Patek Philippe International magazine for 20 years, previewed and reported on watch auctions for every issue of QP magazine from the first in 2002 to the last in 2020 and writes a twice-yearly saleroom round-up for Vanity Fair’s ‘On Time’ supplement. Simon has also been a principle contributor to the quarterly Financial Times watch report since 2001.
Fellows Auctioneers