An 18-carat gold pocket watch, given to Sir Winston Churchill by Herbert Henry Asquith in 1905, will be auctioned later this month.
The historic timepiece, which Churchill received as a Member of Parliament, features the former British Prime Minister’s coat of arms.
Edward Langmead, a watch specialist at Dawsons Auctioneers, expressed his deep connection to history facilitated by this artefact. “Delving into Sir Winston Churchill’s past has been truly enlightening,” he remarked.
The watch is scheduled for sale on May 23 at Dawsons Auctioneers in Maidenhead, Berkshire, with an estimated value of £20,000-£30,000. It bears an inscription inside the case that reads, “To Winston with gratitude H. H. Asquith Xmas 1905.”
The auction house notes that the gift likely commemorated Churchill’s notable switch from the Conservative to the Liberal Party in 1904, driven by his opposition to the Conservative leadership’s tariff reform policies.
Churchill, who served as the UK’s Prime Minister during the critical years of 1940-1945 and again from 1951 to 1955, remains a towering figure in British history.
Reflecting on the significance of handling such a piece, Langmead added, “To hold a minute repeating pocket watch with the Armorial bearings of Sir Winston Churchill, believed to be a gift from another former Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith, is nothing short of surreal.”
