Articles From The Experts

In this episode, Jewellery, Handbag and Watches Specialist Helen Doyle looks at why the watch world spent so long getting women so wrong, and what’s finally changing. For years the “ladies’ watch” was little more than a men’s model made smaller and prettier. Now the picture looks very different. Women are buying for themselves, on their own terms, and the numbers are turning heads in boutiques and auction rooms alike. Some of the biggest names in Swiss watchmaking are rethinking how they design, label and sell their watches. There’s also a surprising story behind the bench, and a hint of where the next big shift may come. Listen now to find out why it’s time to take note.

In this episode, Contemporary Art Specialist Jonathan Horwich takes us inside one of the biggest nights in the London art world this year: the sale of the Peter Simon Collection at Christie’s. It’s the story of a man who went from selling printed clothes in a small London shop to building a world-class collection of modern and contemporary art. Along the way there are record-breaking prices, a few surprises, and a question that might make you rethink what it means to be a collector: why would someone sell it all? Listen now to find out what happened when the hammer fell, and what’s coming next.

In this episode, Asian Art Specialist Ashley Innes takes us to Frieze London, where she came across something she'd never seen there before. A single artwork in the final gallery she visited had her fooled. It looked like a painting, but the story behind it was something else entirely. It raises a big question for anyone who buys, sells or simply loves art: how can you tell what you're really looking at? Ashley explores what this new hybrid of the physical and the digital could mean for collectors, and why it might be arriving in the art world faster than anyone expected.

In this episode, we look at why the Great Wealth Transfer isn’t just about money. As trillions pass from one generation to the next, the paintings, jewellery, watches and family heirlooms that have been collected, inherited and treasured over a lifetime are about to take centre stage. Discover why knowing what these things are really worth can make all the difference, how it can ease some of the tension that families often face, and why starting the conversation sooner rather than later might be the best decision you make.

In this episode, Contemporary Art Specialist Jonathan Horwich follows British street art from the back streets and railway arches, where it was once written off as vandalism, to the galleries and auction houses that now prize it. Along the way, you’ll hear about the artists who changed how we see the walls around us, and discover some surprising ironies about what happens when art made for free becomes something to own.

In this episode, Asian Art Specialist Ashley Innes turns a piece of Chinese porcelain upside down and shows why the real story often starts at the bottom. Marks, symbols and the odd sticker can tell you a great deal, but they can also lead the unwary astray. Along the way, she explores why even seasoned collectors get caught out, and what role technology should (and shouldn't) play when you're trying to work out what's sitting on your shelf.

In this episode, Senior Valuer & Watch Specialist Alastair Meiklejon explains why a battered old trunk can make us dream of ocean liners, Riviera suites and a far better holiday than the one we're actually having. He takes a wry look at the grand names behind vintage luggage and the extravagant journeys they were built for. Along the way, there's an auction result that might make you think twice about what's sitting in your loft!

In this episode, Jewellery Specialist Milly Grounds steps behind the curtain of a London exhibition celebrating the 180th anniversary of one of the most famous names in jewellery. She reveals a rare survivor from the workshop of a legendary master, and shares why individuality mattered so much to Russia's high society. Along the way, she takes in some surprising treasures that go well beyond the famous eggs and finds out what's happening to some of the great historic pieces.