This afternoon at Sotheby’s London, an exceptional George Daniels Millennium wristwatch sold for £200,000 ($262,680), thereby matching the previous record set a year ago for another rare example of this 20th-century horological* and confirming the dramatic rise in value achieved by Daniels’ watches in recent years.
This remarkable watch came from the collection of Tina Millar who established Sotheby’s London Watch department in the 1960s and, in an inspired move, hired George Daniels as a consultant before he became one of the most important British watchmakers of the 20th century.
Made in 1999, the watch sold today is one of only 47 yellow gold examples ever produced by the celebrated watchmaker, all equipped with his now celebrated Co-Axial escapement and hand-finished in his Isle of Man workshop. The watch had been estimated at £80,000-120,000 ($104,000-156,000) came complete with its original accoutrements, including the letter from Daniels himself to the watch’s recipient.
The Millennium watch was the star lot of today’s Watches auction which totalled £2,206,313 ($2,897,771), well above the pre-sale estimate (est. £1.1-1.9 million/ $1.5-2.3 million) and with 95 per cent of the lots sold and 63 per cent of them achieving prices above the high estimate.
Other Highlights in Sale:
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