London, Knightsbridge – the demand for vintage watches continues to significantly grow, as the enduring love affair with the 1960s and 1970s shows no sign of slowing. Other trends of note include the rise in colourful watches and an increased demand for larger case sizes with consumers opting for 41-43mm watches. Bonhams Knightsbridge Watches and Wristwatches sale on 22 February has 300 lots of modern and vintage timepieces offering the perfect selection of 2023 trends.

Leading the sale for vintage 1960s and 1970s style is a rare and early Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo, reference 5402SA, circa 1975. Offered on behalf of the original owner, the high-end sports watch is one of the first Royal Oak series, and it is believed only around 2000 pieces of this series were produced. The stainless steel and 18K gold automatic calendar watch features a grey 'tapisserie' grid dial and is offered with an estimate of £20,000-30,000.

Another important lot is an early Heuer Autavia chronograph wristwatch, reference 2446, circa 1960. The Autavia celebrates the two pillars of TAG Heuer's history: automotive and aviation. Initially used for dashboard timers for cars and aircraft, the Autavia later made its way onto wristwatches. The watch on offer features a stainless-steel 17-jewel Valjoux manual wind watch with black dial and polished baton hour markers, luminous minute markers and a white centre chronograph hand with screw down back. This early piece is offered with an estimate of £10,000-15,000.

Heuer Autavia, stainless steel manual wind chronograph wristwatch, reference: 2446, circa 1960, offered with an estimate of £10,000-15,000

Penelope Andrews, Bonhams Head of Watches in London, said "We are delighted to start 2023 with an extraordinary selection of modern and vintage lots in our Knightsbridge Watches and Wristwatches sale showcasing some sought after and rare pieces, reflecting our fourth year as the number one market leader across the UK within the watch category."

With the fully gold watch seeing a resurgence for 2023, Bonhams has a selection of such timepieces on offer:

An 18K gold Patek Philippe Aquanaut automatic calendar wristwatch, circa 1999. The water-resistant design features a sporty rubber strap, specially created by Patek for the Aquanaut. Offered with an estimate of £20,000-30,000.

An 18K gold Rolex Day-date automatic calendar bracelet watch, circa 1979. The timepiece has a black dial with gilt baton hour markers and a fitted 18K president link strap. Accompanied with a spare white dial with applied gilt Roman numerals. Offered with an estimate of £8,000-12,000.

A 18K gold diamond set lady's Rolex Datejust Pearlmaster, circa 2001. The automatic calendar bracelet watch has a mother of pearl dial with diamond set hour markers and is offered with an estimate of £6,000-8,000.

Coloured watches are in demand and Bonhams has a selection on offer at the Knightsbridge Watches and Wristwatch sale. Models include coloured dials alongside natural stone dials of coral and malachite and the more traditional mother of pearl and coloured bezels. Highlights include:

A Rolex Datejust 31 in stainless steel and 18K gold, diamond set automatic calendar bracelet watch, circa 2021. Featuring a sunburst olive green dial with gilt Roman numeral hour markers. The brushed and polished tonneau form case has a gold-diamond set bezel with a steel and gold Jubilee link strap. Offered with an estimate of £9,000-12,000.

A Patek Philippe Ellipse in 18K white gold, circa 1975. The timeless automatic calendar bracelet watch design features a sunburst blue dial with white gold baton hour markers and sigma dial. The Ellipse perfectly encapsulates the feeling and quality of Patek Philippe of the era with its fresh and innovative design on a conventional gold watch. The timepiece is offered with an estimate of £8,000-12,000.

A Rolex Submariner 'Kermit', reference 16610, circa 2005. The stainless-steel automatic calendar bracelet watch has a black dial with luminous filled dot hour markers and a brushed and polished tonneau form case with a green calibrated bezel insert. Offered with an estimate of £8,000-12,000.

Another notable trend for 2023 is the demand for larger dials, standout lots include:

A Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea model, 43mm dial, circa 2019. The stainless steel automatic calendar bracelet watch first launched in 1967, and features a gas escape valve, allowing the helium trapped in the watch while decompressing to release while preserving the watch case's water resistance. Offered with an estimate of £10,000-15,000.

An Audemars Piquet Royal Oak Offshore, stainless steel automatic calendar chronograph wristwatch, circa 2015. Featuring a jewelled automatic movement with a 46mm white grid dial and blue Arabic numeral hour markers. The watch is offered with an estimate of £8,000-12,000.