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Silverstone to auction Richard Burton’s watch
The auction house is selling the Omega Constellation Elizabeth Taylor gave to Richard Burton in 1970, after he was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Warwick, U.K.--A watch that symbolizes one of Hollywood’s most iconic, and arguably tumultuous, romances is up for sale in the United Kingdom. 
The 18-karat gold 1970 Omega Constellation was a gift from Elizabeth Taylor to longtime love Richard Burton, one she gave him after the actor was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
It is believed Taylor gave the timepiece to Burton during a stay in their Gstaad, Switzerland home during the fall of 1970. It was passed down through his family after his death until it was sold five years ago.
Burton made his on-screen debut in 1948 as Gareth in The Last Days of Dolwyn, which both launched his career and also is where he met his first wife, Sybil Williams.
He then starred in Cleopatra with Taylor and in 1962 they set the tabloids on fire when rumors came out that the two were having an affair (Taylor was married to Eddie Fisher at the time.) It marked the beginning of a long, tumultuous relationship.
Burton divorced Williams in 1963, Taylor got divorced from her husband in 1964, and the two were married that same year. A decade later, they separated, divorced, and then married a second time in 1975 in Botswana, Africa. They would divorce a second time not long after, in July 1976.
The Omega watch is expected to garner between $7,000 and $9,000. Any proceeds over the bottom estimate of the sale, as well as the buyer’s premium from Silverstone, will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Society, a cause close to the hearts of the private seller’s family.
The timepiece is part of the Salon Prive sale from Silverstone, which features 16 lots of exquisite and historical timepieces as well as 62 coveted automobiles. Online bidding has already begun, and on Sept. 4 on-site and online buyers will participate alongside each other.
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