Charles Dickens' pocket watch up for auction

The gilt metal open-faced key-wind pocket watch dates from 1836

A pocket watch once owned by Charles Dickens is going up for auction.

The open-faced key-wind watch dates from 1836 and was gifted to the famous author on the first anniversary of his editorship of the magazine Bentleys Miscellany.

The watch, along with a desk set, both come from Dickens' descendants and will go on sale in Chichester, West Sussex.

Stride & Son auctioneers described the watch as "unprecedented in terms of historical Dickens memorabilia".

The items are to go on sale after the death of a Dickens' descendant in the Portsmouth area.

The William IV watch has the initials CD and is engraved with the words Dearest Boz editor Bentleys Miscellany Dec 1836.

Boz was a pseudonym used by Dickens in his early writings.

The desk set was a gift to Dickens' daughter in 1859

The brass-bound walnut ebonized desk set dates from 1859 and is engraved Happy Birthday Little Lucifer Box with a plaque to Catherine Elizabeth Dickens, the author's daughter.

It is believed to be a gift for her 20th birthday.

Dickens is thought to have referred to her as Little Lucifer Box on account of her fiery temper.

Charles Dickens lived in Hampshire, Kent and London

Barnaby Chiari, from Stride & Son auctioneers, said: "Both items are of national importance.

"The watch would appear to be unprecedented in terms of historical Dickens memorabilia, both as a talisman of the author's early literary career, and a unique object, the like of which we can find no comparison."

The watch has an auction estimate of £2,000 - £4,000.

The desk set has an estimate of £400 - £600.

Both items go up for auction in Chichester on Wednesday.

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