A rare watch worn by German frogmen during WW2 has been sold at auction for a record price of £54,560.

The piece, which was made for the German and Italian Navy, was discovered in a drawer by auctioneer Clare Godwyn in a house in Lanark.

It attracted interest from across the globe and auctioneers at Great Western Auctions in Glasgow expected bids from collectors from as far afield as Japan, America and Switzerland.

Anita Manning, managing director of Great Western Auctions said: "The bidding was fierce.

"There was interest from Japan, Europe, America on the internet and telephone bidding, as well as from collectors in the room.

"The bidding started at £20,000 and raced upwards with the winning bid coming from a private European collector."

The watch was discovered by auctioneer Claire Godwyn who was looking through the Lanark house to value the estate of a deceased woman.

Their neighbour, who arranged the valuation, then asked Claire to take a look at some of her belongings.

It was there that she discovered the watch, and despite its fairly plain appearance, she had a feeling she had found something special.

Claire, 42, said: "It was initially a deceased estate. The lady dealing with it was her next door neighbour. She asked me to look at a few things.

"Then she pulled out this watch and said, 'is this anything?'

"Military watches are interesting but I didn't know anything about it.

"When you find something like that you get a feeling, but it's only when the information starts coming back from interested parties who are very excited that it starts a buzz within the auction house."

After doing some research, they discovered the watch was made by Italian company Panerai using Rolex movements and is one of only 618 made between 1941 and 1943.

Frogmen, or assault swimmers, wore the watches as part of their kit while carrying out operations to blow up Allied ships towards the end of the war.

Claire said: "When you see it most people wouldn't give it a second thought. They're very plain looking watches.

"There's nothing on it to say it's a Rolex - it's only when you open it up all that information is revealed."

Saleroom manager David Convery said they hoped bidding could reach up to £30,000.

He added: "The watches were given to frogmen as part of their military kit.

"They tried to slow up the Allies winning the war.

"It's the first in Scotland. Two were up at auction elsewhere and raised £55,000 and £46,000.

"We've had interest from Japan, America and Switzerland. It appeals to lots of different collectors."

The reserve price on the watch was £5,000 to £8,000.

Frogmen - specialist divers - operated manned torpedoes, which were used to sink Allied ships during WW2.

There were 840 lots up for sale at Great Western Auctions' two day event.

Other items that were up for grabs included two decorated wooden panels made by German prisoners of war at a PoW camp in the Borders in 1916.

One features a Dutch scene with a boy and girl standing in front of a sail boat and windmills, while the other shows deer in a forest.

David said: "Prisoners of war were allowed to create and make panels out of anything they could find.

"Any scraps of wood they got they used. British forces allowed them to make things."

Made at Stobs PoW camp, one of the panels has been made from an old tea chest.

The PoWs were allowed to sell their arts and crafts to the local population, visitors and guards, giving them local currency for extra rations.

David added: "These were brought in to us. The social history of them makes it a bit more interesting.

"The panels show possible connections with home - a Dutch connection, maybe from a girlfriend, and possibly the Black Forest."