The latest Geneva watch auction saw a George Daniels watch sold for a record amount.

Originally estimated at £884,747, the watch was sold after an intense bidding war for a record-breaking £3,616,900.

This is a new record for the highest price ever achieved for a wristwatch by a British maker.

The late Dr George Daniels, was a famous horologist who lived in the island in his later life, and was considered to be one of the best horologists in the world in the field of luxury mechanical watches.

He is remembered for the invention of a co-axial escapement, which theoretically removes the need for a lubricant.

He also was the first watchmaker to achieve sufficient mastery of 32 of the 34 skills and techniques requisite in creating a watch entirely alone and by hand.

This is now recognised as ‘The Daniels Method’.

Leading the auction was his Spring Case Tourbillon wristwatch in yellow gold made entirely by hand according to ‘The Daniels Method’.

It was also George’s ‘daily wearer’ and a watch that was influential in the acceptance and industrialisation of his co-axial escapement.

It is a watch designed and built by George Daniels himself before his death.

Mr Daniels originally sold it privately to a collector. It was then tracked down and bought by another collector, and has been in private hands for the past 20 years.

This is the first time the watch has been on auction.

There were two other watches which were collaborations between George Daniels and Roger Smith, who had been Dr Daniels’ apprentice in the past and who moved to the Isle of Man to work with him.

These collaborations also achieved new heights. A yellow gold Anniversary wristwatch, sold for £613,815, while a yellow gold Millennium wristwatch set a new record price of £733,920.