Image Credit: Hansons Auctioneers
The watch passes through generations of one family
A vintage Patek Philippe wristwatch discovered during a house clearance in Camborne, Cornwall, has sold for £59,000 after attracting fierce competition from international collectors. Initially estimated at between £5,000 and £10,000 by Hansons Auctioneers, the watch achieved almost 12 times its lower estimate at auction on 25 August 2026. Ashley said the watch continued to tick when he examined it, despite being around 90 years old. Hansons reported that she had even recorded a reference to an expensive timepiece in her diary in 2011. The auction took place on 25 August as part of Hansons Cornwall’s sale of antiques, silver, jewellery and watches. As the competing offers climbed towards £60,000, the auction became an emotional moment for the family watching the result unfold. The Chinese telephone bidder ultimately prevailed, with the hammer falling at £59,000.
Because the timepiece had remained within the same Cornish family for generations, despite its potential value being largely unknown, its eventual sale attracted attention.
The remarkable sale turned a long-kept family possession into an unexpected financial windfall, according to the BBC and Hansons Auctioneers . The 1930s timepiece had remained among jewellery in a family home for decades before its value was properly assessed. The watch came to light during a house clearance following the death of its owner, who had kept it among other jewellery in her home in Camborne. Its working condition, rarity and history within one family combined to make it an especially interesting find. The family also considered the possibility that the grandfather’s wife had originally bought the watch for him. She was known for enjoying designer clothing and luxury items, leading relatives to wonder whether the timepiece had been a special gift. However, the exact circumstances of its original purchase could not be established. the family did not know how much interest it might attract at auction Although its owner understood that the watch was valuable. Three members of the family attended in person, while other relatives followed the proceedings remotely on laptops and mobile phones.
That detail offered a glimpse into the watch’s earlier life and showed that its significance had not been entirely forgotten.
