The most complicated handmade watch, the Henry Graves Supercomplication, has been sold at auction for 20.6m Swiss francs (£13.4m). A "complication" is a technical term referring to any feature on a watch which is in addition to simply telling the time. The Supercomplication, made by Patek Philippe in 1932, has 24 of them including Westminster chimes, a perpetual calendar, sunrise and sunset times, and a celestial map of New York as seen from Graves's apartment on Fifth Avenue. Ass…

ASSAY OFFICE BIRMINGHAM ARE OFFERING YOU A FINAL CHANCE TO WIN TWO GREAT JEWELLERY WORKSHOP ITEMS! In order to win the prizes, all you need to do is tell us the answers to the following questions…….. HOW TO ENTER To enter this competition, please send in your answer plus your full name, e-mail address and contact number to gem@theassayoffice.co.uk by MIDNIGHT ON THURSDAY. The winner will be announced on Friday afternoon. For a chance to win an extra prize, why no…

Assay Office Birmingham has compiled the latest UK Hallmarking figures for the month of October 2014. The total number of articles hallmarked across the four UK Assay Offices in October was 8.3% up on the same month in 2013, an increase of 95,112 items hallmarked overall. No surprises that 9ct gold was the strongest performing category again with an increase of 92,878 pieces hallmarked against the same month last year, an increase of 24.3%. 18ct gold also showed a strong increase wit…