A Rolex made to measure for the Dutch king’s late grandfather, prince Bernhard was sold at auction for €140,000 on Wednesday to an unknown buyer, The Hague auctioneers Venduehuis have said.

The 18-carat gold watch, which sports a perforated wristband so it could be worn in on visits to the tropics, was expected to fetch between €10,000 and €20,000.

It is also engraved with the prince’s signature and came complete with a guarantee and the original box.

The seller was reportedly a friend of the prince who was given the watch as a present.

Bernhard von Lippe-Biesterfeld married the late queen Juliana in 1937. The couple had four daughters, including former queen Beatrix, current king Willem-Alexander’s mother.

In 2023, Bernhard hit the headlines posthumously when his membership card for Adolf Hitler’s NSDAP was uncovered. Bernhard had always denied he had been a member of the Nazi party.