Watch collection sells for £88,000 after going under the hammer in Harborough

Some of the watches which went under the hammer

A watch collection attracted interest from across the globe to make nearly double its estimate at auction.

Thousands of watches and clocks which were owned by Kettering-based collector Ronald J Pace went under the hammer at Gildings Auctioneers in Market Harborough.

And it beat its sale estimate of £52,000 and reached £88,000.

Despite many of the items not being in working order they still attracted high bids, with a Longines World War II RAF pilot’s watch selling for £2,200 – more than ten times its estimate of £100 to £200.

Gildings director Mark Gilding said: “We’re thrilled with the result of the sale of this extraordinary collection of horological history dating from the late 18th century all the way through to the 1990s.

“Ronald Pace’s expert eye and lifelong passion for collecting watches, clocks and their associated parts resulted in a deep treasure trove for enthusiasts. Indeed, such was the interest in his collection, we had bidders from all over the world, including Germany, France, Eastern Europe, New Zealand and the USA.”

Other highlights of the auction included a silver-cased open faced pocket watch originating from Birmingham in 1901, which was believed to have belonged to a miner as it is fully dustproof. It sold for £1,300 against an estimate of £80 - £120.

An Omega Seamaster 300 wristwatch – which was highly sought-after in the 1960s – sold for £2,200, doubling its estimate, despite having no bezel or original bracelet.

And a First World War trench watch sold for £400.

Mark added: “The extraordinarily high bids achieved for so many of the lots in this auction really does show the extremely high value collectors place on these kinds of rare items, whether that’s for them to restore and perhaps sell on or to add to their own collections.

“So, as well as the brilliant result achieved, it’s great to think of this very special lifetime collection finding a new home with people who will treasure it all over the world.”

Visit www.gildings.co.uk to find out more about upcoming auctions or to get a valuation.