What Lyon & Turnbull does

Lyon & Turnbull is a privately held Scottish auction house established in 1826, headquartered in Edinburgh with additional salerooms in London (Connaught Street and Mall Galleries) and Glasgow. The firm operates multiple specialist departments spanning Contemporary Art, Scottish Paintings, Design, Jewellery, Watches, and a newly launched Prints & Editions division, with an upcoming dedicated Patek Philippe watch auction in late 2026. Its core platform is a hybrid live and online bidding system supplemented by Matterport-powered virtual tours, enabling remote participation alongside in-room sales.

The business model is anchored in auction operations: the firm earns revenue primarily through buyer's premiums on hammer prices, seller's commissions on consignments, and ancillary services including valuations, storage, shipping, and private treaty sales. Customers comprise private collectors, estates, institutional buyers, and trade dealers — a distributed base served across more than 12,000 lots annually. In 2025, the company reported record-breaking auction sales of £30M, and its 2026 bicentenary programme (L&T200) is positioned to reinforce brand prestige and consignor engagement.

The company's stated strategic direction is to expand from its Scottish regional stronghold into a UK-wide major auction house, evidenced by new London product lines, vertical-specific dedicated sales, and institutional partnerships (notably the Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust collaboration). Staffing is reported in the 11-50 range, consistent with a mid-sized specialist auction house. The firm remains privately held, with no disclosed funding rounds or external investors in the available data.

Name

Lyon & Turnbull

Legal name

Lyon & Turnbull

Website

https://lyonandturnbull.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1826

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lyon & Turnbull is a privately held Scottish auction house founded in 1826, serving private collectors, estates, and institutions through specialist sales in fine art, jewellery, watches, and design across Edinburgh, London, and Glasgow.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Auction Services

NAICS

Art Dealers (45992), Used Merchandise Retailers (4595)

SIC

Wholesale-Jewelry, Watches, Precious Stones & Metals (5094)

akta.pro primary industry

Auction Houses (Luxury Watches & Jewelry) (CRAKAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Fine art auctions
• Antique auctions
• Art valuation services
• Auction house
• Collectibles auctions

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Buyer's Premium: Buyers at Lyon & Turnbull auctions pay a buyer's premium on top of the hammer price. This is the primary revenue driver, collected from winning bidders at each live and online auction sale.
2. Seller's Commission: Sellers who consign items to Lyon & Turnbull pay a commission on the sale price. The company facilitates the sale of art, antiques, design objects, watches, jewellery, and collectibles in exchange for a percentage of the hammer price.
3. Auction-related Services: Additional revenue is generated from ancillary services including valuations (free estimates for consignment, chargeable for insurance/probate purposes), shipping services, and potentially specialist publishing or exhibition-related activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lyon & Turnbull is a UK-based auction house that conducts specialist live and online auctions of fine art, design, jewellery, watches, Scottish paintings, antiques, prints, and Asian art from its Edinburgh and London salerooms. The firm also provides free auction valuations for consignment, chargeable valuations for insurance and probate, and tailored collection-handling services for private and corporate clients.

Product overview

Lyon & Turnbull is a Scottish auction house offering a unified platform of specialist live and online auction sales across fine art, design, jewellery, watches and antiques. The core portfolio includes dedicated auctions for Contemporary Art, Scottish Paintings & Sculpture, Design (including Design Since 1860 and MODERN MADE), Prints & Editions, Five Centuries, Scotland Collected, and category-specific sales for Jewellery, Watches, Asian Works of Art, Silver, Lalique, Travel & Vintage Posters, Islamic & Indian Art, Books & Manuscripts, The Art Edit, and Antiquities. The company also offers a Patek Philippe dedicated auction as part of its bicentenary programme. Services include free auction valuations across Edinburgh, London and Glasgow, and Private & Corporate Collections handling. Auctions are conducted live from Edinburgh and London salerooms with global online bidding capability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Contemporary Art Auctions Live and online auction sales of contemporary art, featuring Scottish, British and international artists, timed to coincide with Edinburgh's International and Fringe Festivals.
• Scottish Paintings & Sculpture Auctions Specialist auctions featuring works by the Scottish Colourists including F.C.B. Cadell, J.D. Fergusson, G.L. Hunter and S.J. Peploe, as well as historical Scottish art.
• Design Since 1860 Auctions Auction sales spanning late 19th century to present day, covering Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Modernism, mid-century modern, post-war and contemporary design including furniture, lighting, ceramics and glass.
• MODERN MADE Auctions Modern, Post-War & Contemporary Art, Design, Craft and Studio Ceramics auctions held at Mall Galleries in London, featuring international designers and contemporary makers.
• Prints / Editions Auctions Curated auction of Old Master, Modern and Contemporary prints featuring works by Rembrandt, Picasso, Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Bridget Riley and Banksy.
• Five Centuries Auctions Multi-category auctions spanning 500 years of art and antiques, including furniture, decorative arts, silver, ceramics and collectables.
• Scotland Collected Auctions Specialist auction celebrating Scottish culture and heritage, featuring fine Scottish art, silver, Jacobite artefacts, historic furniture and works with distinguished provenance.
• Jewellery Auctions Auctions featuring fine jewellery including Cartier, vintage diamond engagement rings, and luxury gemstone pieces.
• Watches Auctions Luxury watch auctions featuring Patek Philippe, Rolex, Audemars Piguet and other fine Swiss timepieces, with dedicated single-maker sales.
• Icons of Time: Patek Philippe Auction Specialist one-off auction dedicated exclusively to Patek Philippe wristwatches, pocket watches and rare complications, part of the L&T200 bicentenary programme.
• Asian Works of Art Auctions Fine Asian art auctions featuring Chinese, Japanese and other Asian artworks including ceramics, jade, snuff bottles and decorative arts.
• Silver & Objets de Vertu Auctions Auctions featuring silver items including Scottish provincial silver, objets de vertu and decorative metalwork.
• Lalique Auctions Dedicated auctions for René Lalique glass and jewellery, part of the Design department's specialist offerings.
• Travel & Vintage Posters Auctions Online auctions featuring vintage travel posters from the golden age of railways and other collectable poster art.
• Islamic & Indian Art Auctions Auctions featuring Islamic tiles, Gandharan sculpture, Indian miniature paintings and other Asian art from the Islamic and Indian subcontinent.
• Books & Manuscripts Auctions Auctions featuring rare books, manuscripts and literary collections including the Indian Library of Dr Raj Krishna.
• The Art Edit Auctions Curated art sales offering accessible contemporary artworks for home collectors and interior decorators.
• Free Auction Valuations Complimentary valuation services offered online, and at Edinburgh, London and Glasgow locations for items intended for auction.
• Private & Corporate Collections Service Tailored approach for selling complete collections from private individuals and corporate clients, combining 200 years of expertise.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record-breaking £30 million in annual sales in 2025, up from a period of market coolness due to global uncertainty.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, notable and minor.

• Wilhelmina Barns-Graham TrustflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Lyon & Turnbull partnered with the Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust to host a celebration of the artist in August 2026 at 20 Connaught Street, London, co-inciding with the publication of the new edition of 'Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: A Studio Life' by Lynne Green. Previously, Lyon & Turnbull sold the Wilhelmina Barns-Graham personal collection in 2021 (100% sell-through, white glove sale) and continues the relationship as a trusted partner.
• Lund Humphries Foundation for Visual ArtsnotableGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Partner in the August 2026 exhibition celebrating Wilhelmina Barns-Graham at Connaught Street, London. The Lund Humphries Foundation supports the publication and promotion of the new edition of 'Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: A Studio Life'.
• Brain Tumour ResearchnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Theo Burrell, a European Ceramics Specialist at Lyon & Turnbull, became a Patron of Brain Tumour Research in November 2023 following her diagnosis with glioblastoma. She worked tirelessly through media appearances, fundraising events and public campaigning. Lyon & Turnbull continues to support Brain Tumour Research with ongoing fundraising events and hosted the 'Piece of Mind' auction in 2023 raising over £64,000.
• The Brain Tumour CharitynotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Lyon & Turnbull supported Theo Burrell in hosting the 'Piece of Mind' fundraising auction in 2023 which raised over £64,000 for The Brain Tumour Charity. The auction gathered support from a wide range of celebrities and received nationwide TV promotion on Channel 4's Steph's Packed Lunch.
• Dramfool WhiskyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDramfool Whisky partnered with Lyon & Turnbull to create special edition tasting kits as part of the fundraising effort for Brain Tumour Research following Theo Burrell's diagnosis.
• Hugo Burge FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Hugo Burge Foundation has partnered with Lyon & Turnbull for art awards and collection sales (e.g., 'Makers & Creators' auctions). The foundation's art award supports emerging artists, with works sold at Lyon & Turnbull auctions. Alice Strang was appointed as a Trustee to the Hugo Burge Foundation in March 2026.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bonhams: London-headquartered international auction house with overlapping categories including fine art, watches, jewellery, design and Asian art. Closest direct peer to Lyon & Turnbull given similar UK heritage, multi-category structure and comparable auction calendar approach.
• Cheffins: Cambridge-headquartered auctioneer with fine art, Asian art and antiques sales alongside its core machinery and property business. Comparable to Lyon & Turnbull in multi-category fine art auction model with online bidding infrastructure.
• Freeman's: US-based auction house (notably co-branded with Lyon & Turnbull via Freemans logo on the firm's site). Operates fine art, jewellery and luxury auctions comparable in structure, with a similarly hybrid live/online model.
• Dreweatts: UK-based regional auctioneer with a similar multi-category model covering fine art, jewellery, watches and interiors. Closely comparable in scale, category breadth and live/online hybrid format to Lyon & Turnbull's UK regional saleroom operations.
• Tennants Auctioneers: One of the UK's largest independent auction houses, running live and online sales across fine art, antiques, jewellery and collectibles. Directly comparable to Lyon & Turnbull in independent UK regional auctioneer positioning and category breadth.
• Woolley & Wallis: Salisbury-based UK auction house holding regular sales of fine art, jewellery, watches, Asian art and decorative arts. Comparable mid-sized UK regional competitor with similar specialist department structure and hybrid auction delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Christie's: The world's largest fine art auction house with global salerooms and a deep luxury watch and jewellery offering. Comparable to Lyon & Turnbull in business model (live + online auctions of art, watches and luxury) but operates at vastly greater scale and international reach, setting the upper benchmark for the category.
• Phillips: Global auction house with a particularly strong focus on contemporary art, design, watches and editions. Comparable to Lyon & Turnbull in MODERN MADE and design offerings, and in live/online hybrid auction model.
• Sotheby's: Global auction house with comparable fine art, watch, jewellery and luxury consignment operations. Like Lyon & Turnbull, it operates live salerooms complemented by online bidding, but with significantly broader geographic footprint and larger marketing budgets.

Emerging players

• Bidsquare: Online aggregator marketplace for auction houses, enabling collectors to bid across multiple auctioneers. Comparable to Lyon & Turnbull as an online bidding channel that could either complement or compete with the firm's own platform investment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lyonandturnbull
• Facebookfacebook.com/lyonandturnbull

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lyon & Turnbull