A military issue Rolex wristwatch originally purchased for under £1,000 ($1,490) sold at an auction in UK for £120,100 ($179,095).

Part of Bonham’s London Fine Watch sale held on December 16, the watch sold for nearly double its top estimate of £70,000.

The vendor brought the Rolex to the Antiques Roadshow when the show came to Lincolnshire in early 2015. They were delighted when the valuers told them that the watch was worth a great deal more than originally thought.

The Rolex Submariner which dates back to the early 70s, is remarkable because the UK’s Royal Navy ordered it in a series of watches for use by their specialist personnel. The dials are marked with the logo "Circle T", which is the international symbol for Tritium, a treatment the watch received to help the wearer see the hands in the dark. 

Elsewhere, the first instalment from the collection of a European Nobleman sold well, led by the highly anticipated rectangular rose gold Glashütte tourbillon wristwatch, which sold for £25,000 ($37,300).

A further highlight included a Rolex ref. 4767 ‘Jean-Claude Killy’ sold for £74,500 ($111,920). Named after three-time Olympic gold medalist, Jean-Claude Killy, the watch previously held the title of the most complicated Rolex ever made.

Jonathan Darracott, Bonhams Head of Watches, said: “Bonhams fine watch sale achieved an excellent £1.5 million, with more than 80 per cent sold. We now look forward to 2016, where the remaining watches from the incredible European Nobleman collection of 2,000 watches will be sold.”

Founded in 1793, Bonhams is one of the world's largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. Today, the auction house offers more sales than any of its rivals. The main salerooms are in London, New York and Hong Kong. Sales are also held in the UK in Knightsbridge and Edinburgh; in the US, in San Francisco and Los Angeles; in Europe, in Paris and Stuttgart and in Sydney, Australia. 

Bonhams also has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas.