Dr George Daniels' Space Travellers' watch sells for £3.2m

A "mesmerising timepiece" made in the Isle of Man has sold at auction for £3.2m making it the most expensive watch in the British Isles.

The Space Travellers' watch, which commemorates the first moon landing, was created by the world-renowned horologist, Dr George Daniels.

The sale price more than doubled its own record set in November 2012 when it changed hands for £1.32m.

Sotheby's said the "level of creativity throughout is out of this world."

Dr Daniels, who died in 2011, was the first person in the world to make every component of a watch from scratch and by hand.

Many experts believe the Space Travellers' watch, which sold on 19 September to an anonymous bidder for £3,196,250, is his finest achievement.

The head of Sotheby's International Watch Division, Daryn Schnipper, said it is a tribute to Daniels' genius.

He said: "The Space Travellers' watch is no doubt one of Daniels' finest timepieces and one can only be mesmerised by the beauty of its dial and the complexity and wonder of its movement."

The timepiece is one of just two he made in the style and includes his double-wheel escapement.

In an illustrious career spanning more than 60 years, Dr Daniels has been credited with some of the most important advancements in his field.

Working from a single workshop at the back of his home, his unique creations could take more than 2,500 man hours to complete.

The most successful of his inventions, the co-axial escapement, won him international acclaim.