Mansfield miner's watch could fetch more than £200,000 at auction

David Hare with the former miner's Rolex watch.

The Rolex Submariner 5512, with an exceptionally rare ‘3-6-9’ dial was bought by its original owner – a medical attendant at the former Shirebrook Colliery – to celebrate his 40th birthday in 1964 for around £70.

The watch is being sold by the original owner’s daughter and son-in-law, also Mansfield residents, who wish to remain anonymous.

It will be auctioned at Gardiner Houlgate auctioneers in Corsham, Wiltshire, this month.

This specific Rolex was only produced for a short period in the early 1960s.

Very few survive with their original dial because when they were returned to Rolex for servicing, the dial was regularly replaced with a new one.

David Hare, director and auctioneer at Gardiner Houlgate in Wiltshire, said: “This is the holy grail of vintage watches.

"There are so few of these left in their original condition that they command very high prices and are sought after by collectors all over the world.

"This particular watch has a version of the dial that experts call a ‘Crown-62’ variation, which makes it even rarer.

“When we sold a similar Rolex in 2016 it went for £192,000.”

The original owner’s son-in-law said: “We’re still in a state of disbelief about the potential value of this watch.

"Things like this just don’t happen to us. Having worked all our lives to be able to enjoy retirement, this will give my wife and I the added financial security we’ve dreamed of. I imagine you’d feel like this if you had a big win on the premium bonds.”

The Rolex Submariner 5512 will be auctioned on Wednesday, October 21, at Gardiner Houlgate.

It will be available for public viewing from October 19 to 21.