Luftwaffe pilot's watch on sale for 200,000

The military watch, worn by soldiers in the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War, was discovered by a family in Coventry while sorting through their late father's possessions. The watch will be auctioned in August for more than 7,000 British pounds, or just over 200,000 crowns.

The family had no idea the watch existed. And they knew nothing of its value. Their late father, William Albert Holyoake, whom friends and family called Bill, rarely spoke of his time overseas during the Second World War.

He never told them about the watch, which he kept hidden for 75 years in a drawer among other German military memorabilia. It was only after he died that his family discovered the treasures locked in a desk drawer, which he had placed there after returning home in 1947.

The watch was made by the German company A. Lange & Söhne around 1942. Its current value is estimated by experts at between £7,000 and £10,000. The movement bears the number 211219 and is housed in a stainless steel case. The watch will be sold at Fellows' Luxury Watch Sale on August 8 from 10am.

A. Lange & Söhne produced exactly 6904 of these watches between 1940 and 1945. Aviation watches made during this time have large dimensions. The ones going up for auction are exactly 55 millimeters long. The watches have a B dial with luminous Arabic numerals. They were a great help to German pilots, especially when flying at night.

Pilots would set the watch to the standard time of the German Naval Observatory after receiving a signal from the air base. During the mission, accuracy was paramount for the Luftwaffe. The pilots were given a watch before each mission and returned it upon completion. They were not a permanent part of the pilot's equipment, so few of these watches were retained and passed on.

William Holyoake enlisted in the army on August 30, 1944. It was while stationed in Central Europe during and after World War II that he acquired various items of interest. As a young man he apprenticed at Alfred Herbert Ltd. At the time it was one of the world's largest machine tool companies. After serving during the Second World War he returned to his home town of Coventry to work as an engineer for The British Aerospace group.

"We opened the case and found that the watch was made by Lange & Söhne, which is excellent. Combined with the story of the watch, it is a tempting proposition for collectors. I believe the watch will sell for a great price," said auction organiser Kain Holroyd.

Sources: https://usa.watchpro.com/