Sir Michael Parkinson: Collection of watches worn by legendary Yorkshire TV presenter go up for auction

A collection of watches owned by the late TV presenter Sir Michael Parkinson is set to go on sale – and could fetch more than £35,000.

Parky’s timepieces, including some worth £8,500 that he wore during famous on-screen interviews, are being sold off by his family two years after his death, aged 88.

The sale comprises six luxury watches, two of which were worn by the presenter during chats with actor Tom Cruise and Australian cricket legend Shane Warne.

Sir Michael’s family said they’d decided to sell the collection as he would have been the first to tell them not to leave them to collect dust in a drawer. The watches will be sold by Ewbank’s Auctions next month.

Among the collection is Parky’s gold Rolex A gentleman’s 118 gold reference Oyster Perpetual Day Date wristwatch, which he wore whilst interviewing Warne in 2007 and is expected to sell for between £7,500 and £8,500.

According to his family, cricket-mad Sir Michael wanted to ensure that he was as sharp as the Australian, whom he called “the greatest spin bowler of them all”.

The interview marked one of the very few times that Parky gave his guest a standing ovation as they arrived on camera.

Another favourite was Sir Michael’s Patek Philippe gentleman’s gold Gondolo wristwatch, worn when he met Hollywood film star Cruise in 2004.

Parky wore this watch for almost all his ITV interviews between 2004 and 2008, and it has a guide price of between £5,800 and £6,800.

The late presenter’s family are selling the timepieces after pondering over what to do with them.

Parky’s son, Mike Parkinson, explained: “They are lovely watches, but no one in the family is going to wear them.

“My father would have been the first person to say, ‘Don’t just leave them in a drawer – do something with them’.

“We thought it would be nice for those who admired my father to have the opportunity to acquire something personal of his like this.”

Another of Parky’s Patek Philippe watches – a gentleman’s reference 5053 Calatrava gold wristwatch – is expected to fetch as much as £8,100, while an A. Lang & Sohne, 219 Saxonia gentleman’s gold wristwatch is priced at between £5,000 and £6,000.

A Rolex gentleman’s Oyster Perpetual Datejust wristwatch carries a guide price of up to £5,500, and an IWC gentleman’s mark XVI Flieger Uhr stainless steel wristwatch has an estimate of between £1,000 and £2,000.

Nick Orringe, a consultant specialist at Ewbank’s – who coincidentally worked as an expert with Sir Michael when he hosted the TV antiques programme Going For A Song in the late 1990s – said the watches offered fans a ‘unique, personal connection’ with the talk show king.

“Whether in print, on radio or as host of Britain’s most iconic talk show, Sir Michael Parkinson was a household name for a generation,” he said.

“Born in a pit village, he cut his teeth in local journalism, moved into television in the ’60s and in 1971 became the host of the show that sealed his reputation as a much-loved and revered National Treasure.

“These watches offer a unique personal connection to a man who was as much a screen icon as those he interviewed.”

Mike Parkinson added: “We haven’t decided what we will do with the proceeds from the sale yet, but we will ensure that it is used in a way that he would have approved of.”

The watches are set to be auctioned by Ewbank’s on September 24.