Charles Tearle, 34, left school at the age of 16 to pursue his passion for timepieces as an assistant at George Somlo’s vintage watch shop before it moved from London’s Piccadilly to Burlington Arcade.

Mr Tearle left after 12 years to travel the world before joining Bonhams auction house, which sent him to the US in January 2006 to set up the firm’s watch department in the country single-handed.