We know times are tough for everybody, even the Porsche family, but news that they are selling 49 pieces from their watch collection was enough to get our attention.

No, the luxury car manufacturer is not so broke that it has to pawn off the proverbial household silver. The gesture is one of goodwill as the proceeds of the auction, to be held at Bonhams' New Bond Street premises in London on the 2nd December, will be donated to charity.

Included in the lots are watches by Rolex, Panerai, Eberhard, Jaeger LeCoultre, Breitling, Chronoswiss and Omega. Bonhams points out that there are also prototypes and unique examples of Eterna and Porsche Design watches that were made especially for the family.

All in the family

Eterna has belonged to the Porsche Family since 1996 and is one of the world's last existing independent watch making companies.

The watches come from the private collection of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche and his sons.

Lot 140 in the auction is a rare 18ct gold Porsche design with a self winding mechanism, white luminous hands, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and a transparent sapphire glass back. The piece is estimated to fetch #3000 to #5000 (about R37 000 to R62 000).

There is also a watch specially made by Eterna for Ferdinand Oliver Porsche to celebrate his 40th birthday. The watch has a perpetual calendar with moon and a transparent centre sapphire case back marked 'Oliver Porsche zum 40. Geburtstag-Eterna SA'. It is expected to fetch #4000-#6000 (about R49 000 to R74 000).

The full catalogue of watches can be viewed at www.bonhams.com/watches