Yorkshire legend Sir Michael Parkinson's watch collection sells for more than £66,000

Parky's timepieces, including some that he wore during famous on-screen interviews, were sold off by his family two years after his death, aged 88.

The sale comprised 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'.

However, despite being expected to fetch around £35,000, the watches sold for a collective total of £66,560.

Among the collection is Parky's gentleman's 118 gold reference Oyster Perpetual Day Date Rolex watch, which he wore whilst interviewing Warne in 2007.

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.

The timepiece had been expected to sell for between £7,500 and £8,500, but went for a whopping, premium-inclusive £17,550 at Ewbank's auction.

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.

It had a guide price of between £5,800 and £6,800, but sold at auction for £11,050.

The late presenter's family said they were selling the timepieces after pondering over what to do with them.

Parky's son, Mike Parkinson, said: "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 - was expected to fetch as much as £8,100, but was snapped up for £14,950.

And an A. Lang & Sohne, 219 Saxonia gentleman's gold wristwatch, priced at between £5,000 and £6,000, sold for £11,700.

Parky's Rolex gentleman's Oyster Perpetual Datejust wristwatch had a guide price of up to £5,500, but sold for £9,100.

Whilst his IWC gentleman's mark XVI Flieger Uhr stainless steel wristwatch sold for £2,210, above it's maximum estimate ofed £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 offered 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."