UK

Little is known about the life of British artist William James (f.1754-71) other than he painted topographical views and may have been one of Canaletto’s studio assistants while the Venetian was visiting England.

Rolex made the reference 6150 Oyster Perpetual Explorer for around two years after the 1953 Everest expedition. It is believed that Tensing Norgay wore a prototype of the watch, the first Explorer model to have the Mercedes hands, while completing the ascent.

Contained in an old buckram folder, a collection of scouting ephemera proved a highlight of a sale of books and ephemera held in Chichester.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

Howard Walwyn Fine Antique Clocks in Kensington Church Street has been transformed into 18th century Toledo for a bedroom farce.

Traditional high-society portrait by Sir Oswald Birley finds modern-day auction fans including an overseas buyer

The Oysterdate Monte Carlo series were the first chronographs produced by Tudor.

Given a modest estimate of £100-150 in a January 3 sale at Oxfordshire auction house Jones & Jacob (18% buyer’s premium), an edition of Hero & Leander published in 1949 by Christopher Sandford sold instead at £1500.

Adrian Gilmour, co-owner of the Hungerford Arcade, is thrilled at news that non-essential retail can reopen in April.

Dealer Sim rates this little-known painter so highly he calls him ‘the English Van Gogh’

Bonhams is to auction the remaining stock of the long-established London Chinese art dealership Roger Keverne.

At the peak of his fame in the 1969, the Anglo-Italian jewellery designer Andrew Grima was invited by Omega to create what would become the About Time collection.

Thousands of items are available to buy from dealers online. Here we pick out one that caught our eye this week.

Unrestored models selling for top results

Algernon Mayow Talmage (1871-1939) is probably not the most familiar name in the canon of Modern British artists, but some believe he is undervalued.

A specialist in early European sculpture and works of art, Matthew Holder established his eponymous gallery in 2011 on London’s Portobello Road.

Traditional 18th century styles rub shoulders with stand-out Modern design in regional sales

If the famous image of the Milton Shield by Elkington and its £800-1200 estimate drew a double-take at a recent auction, there was good reason.

The first fine art sale of 2021 at Reeman Dansie (20% buyer’s premium) will be remembered for the spectacular £100,000 bid for a Mary Beale (1633-99) work.

With classic watches usually priced in five or six figures, it is worth discovering the less well-known brands and especially those from the 1980s, says newly appointed Lyon & Turnbull specialist Sarah Fergusson