"Striking" gold watch owned by decorated Royal Navy commander Lord Nelson goes on sale for £400k at Sotheby's
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A tune-playing gold watch belonging to Lord Nelson months before he died is going to go under the hammer.
The naval hero’s historic timepiece is being sold by famous London auction house Sotheby’s this month. It was given to 1st Viscount Nelson as a gift by the officers aboard Royal Navy flagship HMS Victory in 1805, shortly before the Battle of Trafalgar.
The watch, made of gold and enamel, plays two tunes and is thought to have been enjoyed by the commander alongside his mistress Lady Hamilton. They struck up a romance while she was married to Sir William Hamilton, British ambassador to Naples.
Due to the timepiece’s intricacy, Lord Nelson did not take it with him on his final tour of duty. He was killed during the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, where the UK established naval dominance after defeating the French and Spanish fleets. Lord Nelson’s career is honoured on Trafalgar Day at his monument on Portsdown Hill, and aboard HMS Victory.
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Providing more details about the watch, the Sotherby’s auction listing said: “It is assumed that Nelson didn’t take the watch with him on HMS Victory as it was not recorded as part of his belongings on the ship when his body was returned to England. The most likely reason was that the decorative richness and mechanical sophistication of the watch was designed to delight – it played tunes – more than time keep and so it wouldn’t have been the optimum choice of watch for the demanding conditions of active service.”
It added: “The watch itself is a striking example of early 19th-century craftsmanship, featuring ornate rope-twist decoration set with split pearls, enamel roundels, multiple registers—including calendar, alarm, and seconds—and a movement that plays two melodies on six bells and eleven hammers. A pierced case allows the sound of the melodies to be heard when opened, demonstrating both technical innovation and artistic refinement.”
The watch was engraved with “Pres. to Adml. Lord Nelson By the Officers of HMS Victory Aug 20 1805”. It was designed especially for him by the watchmaker James McCabe and has an estimate price of £200,000 to £400,000. The auction will be taking place on December 17.