Friday, 24th June 2005 (3624 views)

The gold watch carried by naval hero Horatio Nelson is to go on sale at Sotheby's auction house in October.

The legendary admiral was carrying the watch, made by London watchmaker Josiah Emery, when he was shot dead by a French sniper during the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Emery, with his in Charing Cross was one of the most sought-after and exclusive watchmakers of his day, and Nelson's watch is estimated to have cost around £100 when it was made in 1787.

In today's terms, that is equivalent to about £10,000 - a sum far out of the reach of Nelson at that time, who is believed to have acquired it with prize money after a battle or been given it by an admirer.

Sotheby's has valued the watch, one of only 22 Josiah Emery watches still in existence at £350,000, according to Reuters.

As the star of a sale of Nelson memorabilia on October 5th, the Emery watch will go under the hammer for the first time in more than 200 years.

 

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