Whitchurch auctioneer Christina Trevanion has given her advice on the one to 'watch' next year.

The partner of Trevanion & Dean auction house, alongside Aaron Dean, has advised on what will a popular item at auction in 2019.

"People often ask me what antiques they should be investing in and it is always a very tricky question to answer – my usual advice is that you can’t go wrong if you buy what you like and would enjoy having in your home," she said.

"As much as I would love to be telepathic, it is very difficult to be able to predict what is going to be sought after in years to come, however there are several markets that have really stood out this year in the auction room that would be worth keeping an eye on if you’re looking for your auction purchases to be a good investment.

"The saleroom has yielded some fascinating results throughout 2018 but none more noticeable perhaps than the boom in the wristwatch market.

"Pocket watches, although still performing strongly are being eclipsed by their younger brother’s as this new market emerges, driven partially, it has to be said, by nostalgia.

"The market does not seem to want ‘grandfather’s pocket watch’ anymore, this new generation of collectors want the wristwatches they knew and saw as children, but they don’t want just any old watch, which is where it starts to get a little complicated when we look at the wristwatch as an investment.

There are a multitude of watches from a plethora of brands that potential collectors could choose from, and yet the two strongest brands we have found are Rolex and Patek Philippe.

"But, there are a number of aspects that need to be factored into the equation; brand recognition, heritage, exclusivity, availability, and – perhaps the most influential, demand. These are all very important factors to consider when assessing whether a watch is to be a good investment.

"Rolex is, of course, one of those brands that is highly in demand. It has a wonderful heritage, including an impressive list of celebrities and VIPs that wear and have worn Rolex watches, has a high level of recognition and is widely available. It seems that the right mixture of these ingredients make most Rolex watches increase in value over time.

"The same is more or less true of Patek Philippe, although the accessibility of Patek Philippe watches is more restricted due to their higher price tags compared to Rolex’s. Exclusivity is the ingredient that weighs more with Patek collectors than some of the other aspects I have mentioned.

"Apart from Rolex and Patek Philippe, luxury watch brands with a high demand in the auction room and beyond include; Breitling, Omega, Audemars Piguet, Cartier, Panerai, Tag Heuer, Jaeger-LeCoultre and IWC.

"It appears to be the iconic designs which established the reputation for the particular watchmaker are the ones which appear the most sought after today."

And if you were to pick a wristwatch Christina?

"My wristwatch of choice has been, and always will be the Cartier Tank.

"It’s classic, timeless, elegant and so evocative of those post war years when it was developed. I find it fascinating that it was one of the first wristwatches to be produced and even 100 years later, it is still so wearable."