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Ex-Ford managing director's watch up for auction

Maisie Lillywhite
BBC News, Gloucestershire
Kinghams Auctioneers A close up image of an 18ct gold Rolex watch face with a brown canvas strap.Kinghams Auctioneers
The Rolex watch dates back to 1948

A watch given to the managing director of Ford to mark his 30th anniversary with the motor company, is up for auction.

The 1948 gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual 5015 'bubbleback' is set to go under the hammer at Kinghams Auctioneers in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, on Wednesday.

The watch was Rolex's first self-winding water resistant wrist watch, and was gifted to Sir Stanford Cooper to commemorate his time with Ford.

It is expected to fetch about £2,000 to £4,000.

Kinghams Auctioneers The gold back case of a Rolex watch, which has woven brown fabric straps. The back is inscribed with the words "Presented to Sir Stanford Cooper F.C.A. by J. Van Luppen, W. Snepwangers, M. Van Grootel - L Pardoen, D. Smaelen, M. De Wolf, on the occasion of his 30 years with Ford.Kinghams Auctioneers
The watch's bubbleback nickname comes from its distinctive case

Sir Stanford Cooper, born in 1889, was knighted in 1945 and served as managing director of Ford until 1947.

During World War Two, he served on the Scott Committee on Land Utilisation in Rural Areas.

There is a presentation inscription on the rear of the watch, which got its bubbleback nickname from the addition of the self-winding assembly to a manual wind movement, causing the case back to have a distinctive profile.

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