PREVIEW: WATCHES: 26 NOVEMBER

Two Rolex watches lead the highlights in this sale, the first a Datejust dating as far back as c.1959. A reference 6605, it is among the rarer Datejust models as it was only produced for three years.

The gold automatic wristwatch, with sought-after roulette date wheel and bracelet, has silvered, applied dagger indexes and a magnified date aperture, with centre seconds to the dial.

Set in an 18ct gold Oyster case, with later 18ct gold Oyster bracelet, it is signed to the case, dial, movement and bracelet and comes with a chronometer certificate, folder, and later pouch. The estimate is £7,000-12,000.

More than 40 years later, Rolex produced the second highlight, a stainless steel automatic dual time wristwatch with date and bracelet, a reference 16710, GMT-Master II, ‘Pepsi’, c. 2001. Production of this model ceased in 2007.

It has a black dial, with applied triangular, baton and dot indexes, magnified date aperture, and red and white dual time zone hand. The stainless steel Oyster case, has a blue and red 24-hour calibrated bezel, and it is fitted with a stainless steel Oyster bracelet. Again, case, dial, movement and bracelet are all signed. The guide is £6,000-£8,000.

Audemars Piguet launched their first luxury steel sports watch, the legendary Royal Oak model, in 1972 with the help of Swiss industrial designer Gerald Genta. Its tonneau-shaped case with octagonal bezel, is reminiscent of a ship’s porthole.

An example from around 20 years later appears here – not with the distinctive ‘petite tapisserie’ dial but the rarer so-called military dial, with its black background, large luminous Arabic numerals and large arrow-tipped centre seconds hand. With signed case, dial, movement and clasp, it has expectations of £6,500-7,500.