Heuer, Cartier and Omega star in this month's Monaco Legend watch auction

With the major spring watch sales behind us and August traditionally being a dead month in the auction world, there would be few remaining chances for inveterate horophiles to get a bid in before the autumn had Monaco Legend not come to the rescue with an event - on 17 July - that will see more than 200 timepieces cross the block, with estimates ranging from €1,700 to €300,000 The Monaco Legend Group is a relative newcomer to the auction scene, having been established in 2015 by chairman Claude Cohen as an outlet not only for watches but for jewellery and classic cars too Operating from an 800 square metre sale room in the principality - complete with a permanent exhibition of classics and its own vehicle workshop - the firm has turned over in excess of €50 million since its inaugural auction in 2016, more than €5m of which was accounted for by its January watch and jewellery sale.

The July sale is the first auction into which Parmegiani has had input and his influence can be felt in the quality and originality of the offerings, the highlight of which is a 1959 Omega Speedmaster - one of the hottest collectable watches of the moment - that's tipped to fetch a strong €150,000 to €300,000 Another early example of a classic model comes in the form of a 1954 Rolex Sub-Aqua, which is described as a "Prototype" of the better-known Submariner and is one of just five similar watches to have appeared at auction The sale is not all about old sports watches worth six-figure sums.

Advertisement Heuer fans can bid for an unusual grey-dial Seventies Monaco being offered in "New, old stock" condition for €10,000 to €20,000 and a Sixties Carrera-style chronograph that may fetch as little as €1,700. . Source