One of the rarest watches ever made by Rolex will be going under the hammer at Birmingham auctioneers Fellows & Sons.

A gentleman’s Rolex Prince Brancard circa 1931 is the highlight of the Wrist & Pocket Watch auction which will take place on Monday 19th January 2009.

The Rolex Prince was launched the year prior to the 1929 stock market crash. Elegant, the fine design of the Prince in the 1930s allowed a Depression-era clientele to retain a symbol of luxury. Rolex advertised the Prince as ‘the watch for men of distinction’.

Watch Valuer, Rebecca Webster says “As an amalgamation of one of the world’s leading watch brands and classic Art Deco design, the Rolex Prince makes a fantastic piece for collectors not only of classic watches but of high end vintage fashion. Being complete with its original box just adds that extra sparkle to an already exquisite watch”.

The Rolex Prince is in the auction at Lot 142 and comes with the original box. It is estimated at £5,000 - £8,000

The Wrist & Pocket Watch auction has over 400 hundred lots which can all be viewed on their website at www.fellow.co.uk.

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The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company will sell 14 vehicles to benefit various charities at No Reserve during the 38th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, Ariz., Jan. 11-18, 2009. The total marks the most charity vehicles ever sold during a single Barrett-Jackson event, with U.S. automakers General Motors and Ford Motor Company, as well as NASCAR icons Tony Stewart and Rick Hendrick, among the generous donors. Barrett-Jackson, which does not collect commissions on vehicles sold entirely for charity, helped raise a combined $6.7 million for charities during the Scottsdale, Palm Beach, Fla., and Las Vegas auctions in 2008.

“Thanks to our caring sponsors, partners and customers, we’re going to offer an unprecedented number of charity cars at the 2009 Scottsdale event,” said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. “In today’s unique economic environment, these groups need extra support to continue changing lives. At Barrett-Jackson, we’re devoted to increasing awareness of these charities by offering amazing vehicles on the hobby’s biggest stage.”

Rights to the first retail production 2010 Chevrolet Camaro coupe (Lot #1316) will be auctioned by GM to benefit the American Heart Association. The new Camaro features an eye-catching design reminiscent of the storied 1969 model, but is equipped with modern technology and a GM-estimated 27 mpg highway when outfitted with the available V6 engine. The winning bidder will receive VIN No. 100001 and can spec the Camaro to their liking, choosing from several colors, engines, transmissions and trim packages.

Ford will auction rights to the first retail version 2010 Shelby GT500 (Lot #1347.2). With world-class handling, aggressive styling and 540 horsepower, the latest generation Shelby GT500 delivers unparalleled performance. Ford will also sell the first 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor offered to the public (Lot #1347). The purpose-built, high-performance Raptor is rugged enough for challenging desert adventures yet refined enough for everyday use. All proceeds from these Ford vehicles will be donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Hot rod legend Boyd Coddington will be honored when a 1967 Plymouth Barracuda (Lot #1306.2) crosses the block, with all proceeds benefitting EAA’s Young Eagles program. After selling the Max HEMI for charity at Barrett-Jackson in 2006, Coddington dreamed of building an even faster muscle car to auction for children. Following Coddington’s passing in February 2008, West Coast Customs and volunteers like Marc Holmes of Rod and Gauges carried the torch and built the one-off ‘Cuda that features a 6.1-liter, 500 horsepower V8 HEMI.

“Reaching 80,000 youth annually and more than 1.4 million since the program began, the Young Eagles flights provide life-changing inspiration,” according to Tom Poberezny, president of EAA. “Aviation is a powerful tool, teaching personal responsibility, honing math and science skills, and helping youth believe that ‘if you dream it, you can do it,’ an attitude Boyd Coddington upheld. We are grateful to West Coast Customs, Marc Holmes and Barrett-Jackson for helping EAA continue to grow the impact of Young Eagles.”

Longtime Barrett-Jackson partner The Darrell Gwynn Foundation will benefit from the sale of a 1970 Plymouth Superbird custom tribute (Lot #1289) and the 2007 Chevy Monte Carlo NASCAR (Lot #1575) driven by Tony Stewart to three victories in the 2006 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The Superbird was built by YearOne in conjunction with Gillette Evernham Motorsports, Musclecar TV and former pro wrestler, actor and auto enthusiast Bill Goldberg.

Jack Roush will be on stage to help auction a 2008 Ford Mustang GT ROUSH P-51A (Lot #1575.1). This 510 horsepower Mustang is No. 104 of 151 built and will benefit Speedway Children’s Charities. Additional NASCAR-related charity cars will include Jeff Gordon’s 2006 Chevy Monte Carlo (Lot #1274) that recorded two wins during the 2006-07 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and an officially licensed 2009 60th Anniversary NASCAR Motorcycle built by Destination Daytona (Lot #706). The bike is serial No. 60 of only 60 built and will be sold to benefit Victory Junction Gang through The NASCAR Foundation, while all proceeds from the Jeff Gordon NASCAR will be donated to the Hendrick Marrow Program.

AutoTrader.com will cater to sports fans and gear heads with the sale of a custom 2008 Chevy Tahoe (Lot #961) that includes a baseball-inspired interior and an extra hood with signatures from approximately 220 Major League Baseball players. MLB Hall of Famer Goose Gossage, who helped Autotrader.com collect the signatures as part of their Drive to a New Start program, will be on stage for the sale. Proceeds from the sale will be donated to MLB Charities.

A rare 2008 Barrett-Jackson Edition Ford Shelby GT (Lot #1563) will cross the block in Scottsdale, with all proceeds benefitting the Carroll Shelby Children’s Foundation. No. 26 of only 100 produced, the Shelby features a Barrett-Jackson signature black and red paint scheme, Barrett-Jackson Edition doorsill plates, a special Barrett-Jackson gas cap insert and a Shelby-installed Supercharger.

A pristine 1957 Ford Thunderbird (Lot #1055) will be sold to benefit the automotive restoration program at McPherson College in Kansas. Restored by the McPherson students, the T-Bird is powered by a 312 c.i.d. V8 with a 3-speed Ford-o-matic transmission, power steering and power brakes.

Additional charity cars scheduled for Barrett-Jackson include a 2008 Ford Mustang GT (Lot #62; International Children’s Heart Foundation) and a 1961 GMC Carryall (Lot #701; Boy Scouts of America).

About The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company

Established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Barrett-Jackson specializes in providing products and services to classic and collector car owners, astute collectors and automotive enthusiasts around the world. The company produces the “World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions™” in Scottsdale, Palm Beach, Fla., and Las Vegas. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit www.barrett-jackson.com or call 480-421-6694.

On January 24, 2009 Sotheby’s will offer in its sale of Important Americana the most important, and perhaps the earliest, weathervane to appear on the auction market in recent history, A Rare and Important Molded Copper Fireman “Old Jake” Weathervane Made for the Union Fire Hall, now Charley Rouss Fire Company, Winchester, Virginia, dating to circa 1850, which is estimated at $3/5 million. “Old Jake,” as the weathervane has long been called, is unprecedented in its quality, form, and scale – measuring over six feet high and six feet wide – and has topped the Charley Rouss Fire Company since just after the Civil War. After almost 140 years above the skyline of Winchester, Virginia, the weathervane is being sold to raise funds for new fire equipment and the potential construction of a new firehouse.

Nancy Druckman, Director of Sotheby’s American Folk Art Department, said, “The weathervane ‘Old Jake’ is a magnificent example of American vernacular sculpture and three-dimensional American folk art. A swellbodied form, ‘Old Jake’ has an enormous and commanding presence and conveys a sense of urgent forward movement. Coupled with the remarkable aesthetics of the piece, ‘Old Jake’ has a wonderful and well-known history in the town of Winchester, Virginia, with marvelous archival photographs and newspaper accounts to document its history in the town. The provenance, history, and beauty of the piece combine to make ‘Old Jake’ one of the most important, evocative and appealing examples of
American folk art.”

“Old Jake” depicts a fireman with intricately detailed flowing ribbons at his neck and horn in hand – with the other hand he bravely points to danger. The work was first mentioned in the records of the then-named Union Fire Company of Winchester, Virginia, in 1871. Though “Old Jake’s” exact origin and maker are unknown, the piece is possibly a depiction of an 1858 Louis Maurer print “Rushing to the Conflict,” from his American Firemen series, which was reproduced and distributed by printmakers Currier and Ives and depicts a nearly identical fireman prepared to dash to the rescue. Many local residents believe “Old Jake” was named by a local carriage maker George Barnhart, who is thought to have crafted the weathervane for his son Jacob. In 1895, the town of Winchester gathered to watch as “Old Jake” led a parade through the center of town to the fire company’s new home, which was constructed after fire destroyed the volunteer company’s previous post and would later be christened the Charley Rouss Fire Company in honor of its greatest patron.

Charles Broadway Rouss was a Winchester native and patron who built a successful department store empire first in Virginia and then in New York City on lower Broadway, a name he so loved he chose it to replace his own middle name of Baltzell. His ties to Winchester remained strong however and in 1895 records show he donated funds towards the construction of the new Winchester firehouse, which was subsequently named in his honor after continued support from the colorful entrepreneur.

The weathervane has remained atop the current home of the Charley Rouss Fire Company, a registered 501(c)3 organization, since its 1895 installation and is being sold in January to raise funds for the purchase of new fire equipment as well as the potential construction of a new firehouse. Two exact copper replicas of “Old Jake” are being made thanks to generous support from Rouss’s great granddaughter, one of which will continue to crown the Charley Rouss Fire Company and the other of which will likely be on public display until plans for a new firehouse are finalized.

HART DAVIS HART TO AUCTION A MAGNIFICENT SELECTION OF CLASSIC BORDEAUX RARE BURGUNDY & RHONE WINES ON JANUARY 31TH AT TRU RESTAURANT IN CHICAGO

The Auction Features an Outstanding Collection of 1st Growth Bordeaux

(January 1, 2009; Chicago, IL) - Hart Davis Hart Wine Co., the internationally renowned wine auction house and retailer, will hold an exciting auction of Finest and Rarest wines on January 31st at award-winning restaurant Tru, located at 676 North St. Clair Street in Chicago.

The impressive sale will feature private cellars from all areas of the U.S. and include an encyclopedic collection of First Growth Bordeaux, from top vintages such as 1947, 1982, 1989, 1995, and 2000. One very noteworthy collection includes over 100 cases of first growth Bordeaux from the 1995 vintage acquired by the current owner from the London market on initial release.

The auction, which includes over 1000 lots is estimated to fetch $1.8 - $2.7 million and will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. Attendance is open to the public and free of charge. Reservations for lunch at Tru during the auction - should be made by calling Hart Davis Hart at 312.482.9996 or by emailing Maria Elgass, melgass@hdhwine.com.

The seven auctions held by Hart Davis Hart in 2008 in Chicago brought 32,273,540, a twenty percent increase over 2007. The firm achieved by far the highest sell-through rate in the industry at 99.8%, with a mere 17 of the 8,257 lots offered in 2008 failing to find a buyer. HDH also conducted the largest and most important wine auction worldwide in 2008, The Fox Cellar, which set record prices in many categories and was 100% sold.

Bidding Information

Auction catalogs are available through the website or by calling Hart Davis Hart (hdhwine.com; 312.482.9996.) The expanded website allows bidders to view and search the auction catalog and place absentee bids online.

Hart Davis Hart’s state-of-the-art technology allows bidders worldwide to participate in the Chicago-based live auctions via the Internet. Bidders can follow the auction in the salesroom, hear the live auction, and bid against the room, all in real-time. More details about the technology can be found at www.hdhwine.com.

Bidders are encouraged to attend the auction in person, but Hart Davis Hart welcomes bids by phone, fax, through the website, and via the new live-bid technology. For more information, contact Hart Davis Hart at 312.482.9996 or go to hdhwine.com.

Auction of Classic Violins - First time in Asia

240 lots of Violin, Violas, Cellos and bows will be auctioned in Hong Kong on January 15th 2009. Online Bidding also available.

Highlights of the auction include:

A mint condition Carlo Giuseppe Testore violin 1706 (est. value HK$1.8 – $2 million)

Violin by Gioffredo Cappa from Saluzzo 1682 (est. value HK$1.8 – $2 Million)

A cello played by the famous French cellist Paul Tortelier, made by José Contreras 1710

(Est. value HK$1.1- HK$1.4 million)

Bows by the greatest makers including François Xavier Tourte 1748 (HK$1.2 – 1.5 million)

This extensive collection is being showed in Seoul, Tokyo, and Beijing before coming to Hong Kong for preview on January 14th – 15th.

The auction is being organized by Caso Guarneri in conjunction with Hong Kong Auctions ltd. Casa Guarneri is the first auction house which specializes in string quartet instruments of European origin for sale in Asia.

The sales organized by Casa Guarneri will be held in Hong Kong twice a year.
Further details and lot viewing can be found at

www.hkauctions.com

Tel: 29152066

Email- info@hkauctions.com

Auction Date - Thursday 15th January 2009

Time - Viewing 12 noon. Starting 14:00 to 6pm

Venue - Butterfields , Quarry Bay , Hong Kong

Open to the Public