Richard Burton’s gold watch gift from Elizabeth Taylor to go under hammer

The Oscar-winning actress gave her Hollywood star husband the gold Omega Constellation in 1970.

It is thought she bought it as a present after Burton, who was in Gstaad, Switzerland, at the time, had been awarded a CBE.

The watch remained in the Burton family’s possession until it was sold privately five years ago.

Omega confirmed the working 18 carat gold automatic watch was bought on September 12 1970 in Zurich, but due to client confidentiality refused to say who bought it.

In a handwritten letter dated August, 29, 2010, a nephew of Burton wrote: “I confirm that this watch belonged to Richard Burton. My mother remembers Richard wearing it.”

The current owner bought the watch from a man who had acquired it directly from Richard Burton’s family.

He has now decided to sell the working watch it at Silverstone Auctions’ Salon Prive sale, which will be held on September 4 at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, with an estimate of £7,000 to £9,000.

Any proceeds over the bottom estimate will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Society, a charity close to the owner’s heart as his wife has suffered from this debilitating disease for 15 years.

Arwel Richards, from Silverstone Auctions, said: “We often sell high value watches in the same auction as our high value cars and the watches have been hammered away at a far higher value that we are asking for Burton’s. It is a great value piece with superb history.”