Under the hammer

There are very few things more appealing to a watch collector than a timepiece with military association and history. Here, experts from leading auction houses tell Ross Povey about five outstanding models they sold this year

Lemania Chronograph, £4,340*, March

Toby Sutton, Watches of Knightsbridge, London “Earlier this year we sold a Royal Navy ‘double button’ Lemania chronograph. Lemania is arguably the best chronograph maker of the 20th century – famously manufacturing the majority of movements found in vintage Omega Speedmasters, as well as providing chrono calibres to Patek Philippe in the 1990s. The company produced the highest quality movements to robust specifications for the British military – the best of the best – and are always a good investment.”

Rolex Explorer II, £25,000*, July

Benoît Colson, Sotheby’s Watches, London “Rolex has a long-standing relationship with the British armed forces and, in 2012, Special Air Service (SAS) soldiers were given the chance to acquire a personalised Explorer II, ref. 216570. The watch had the SAS motto ‘ Who Dares Wins’ engraved on the case-side and the caseback was decorated with the dagger and wings emblem. Each example also had the soldier’s initials and service number. The watch we offered was the property of the original owner and was a great opportunity to acquire a rare military-related Rolex.”

Omega Speedmaster, £216,275*, July

Davide Parmegiani, Monaco Legend Group, Monaco “In July we sold a tropical dial Omega Speedmaster, which was a very early model, dating to 1959. It had been issued by the Peruvian Air Force – the Fuerza Aérea del Perú [FAP] – and was very rare. The tropical dial [a phenomenon where the black finish on the face turns brown] and the fact it was issued to the FAP made this a once-in-a-lifetime buy. Anything that makes a model that little bit different increases its desirability among collectors.”

Breitling 817 Chronograph, £7,675*, August

Sabine Kagel, Christie’s Watches, Geneva “We sold a lovely Breitling chronograph ref. 817 that was issued to the Italian armed forces in the 1970s and featured military markings on the caseback that read ‘E.I. 0425’. Even the expandable bracelet was the original Japanese stainless steel that came with the watch. It is reported that only around 500 pieces were issued, mainly to Italian helicopter pilots. Collectors are always looking for the next undiscovered treasure and these Breitlings could be just that.”

Rolex Submariner ref. 5517, £143,075*, June

Antonia Bechmann, Bonhams Watches, London “In June we sold a full-spec Rolex military Submariner. It was a great buy because Rolex Submariners issued to the Royal Navy were ‘tool watches’ in the truest sense of the word – often repaired with service parts and in many cases damaged during military use. It’s incredibly rare to find a military-issued Submariner so well preserved and in such good condition. The watch still retains the original hands, bezel insert and a case with beautiful sharp lines. To add extra intrigue, it had never been offered at auction before.”