Tiananmen Square watch dropped from auction over threats to vendor

The auction house said it had carried out a lot of research to verify the provenance of the watch

A watch given to troops after the Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing in 1989 has been removed from auction after threats were made to the vendor.

Auctioneers Fellows said the item, inscribed with "89.6 In Commemoration of Quelling the Rebellion", was withdrawn from its luxury watch sale.

The threats were made on social media and led to the seller being concerned about their safety, Fellows said.

The auction house said it believed the item to be of "international interest".

Birmingham-based Fellows said the watch was given to a member of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) by the Communist Party Beijing Committee and Beijing Municipal Government.

'Shine a light'

"In the process of consigning this item to auction, our team undertook a large amount of research to verify the provenance of this piece," a spokesperson said.

"To the best of our knowledge, the vendor is not associated with the PLA, nor the Chinese government."

Auctions often "shine a light on historical events", Fellows said

The item is inscribed with "89.6 In Commemoration of Quelling the Rebellion"

The protests were ultimately crushed by the government amid economic and social change in China, with conflicting figures on the number of people who died.

Troops opened fire and arrested demonstrators to regain control of the landmark square before a solitary man carrying two bags confronted the tanks. - one of the most iconic images of the 20th Century.

The auction house said it believed the watch to be of "international interest" and was a reminder of events in June 1989.

"In the past we have sold war medals from all sides of global conflicts, a ring commemorating the regicide of Charles I, and watches acquired from prisoners of war," a spokesperson said.

"It is not our place to comment on events of the past. It is important for us to shine a light on historical events and report upon them in a respectful and unbiased manner."