dreweatts 1759

What dreweatts 1759 does

Dreweatts 1759 Ltd is a UK-based auction house founded in 1759 and headquartered at Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire, operating as a subsidiary of Gurrjohns. The company conducts over 70 specialist auctions per annum across 22 departments covering fine art, antiques, Asian art, jewellery, watches, wine, silver, furniture, ceramics, clocks, coins, sculpture, modern design, and luxury accessories, alongside single-owner collections and country house sales. It serves high-net-worth private collectors, estate executors, and insurance/corporate clients through a hybrid channel model combining live online auctions, timed online auctions, in-person saleroom bidding at Newbury and London (Pall Mall), and remote services including telephone bidding, absentee bids, and remote viewing.

The auction platform runs on Auction Technology Group's white-label the-saleroom.com infrastructure for live bidding and broadcast, supplemented by proprietary Dreweatts-branded features including the Dreweatts 360 Virtual Auction Tour (immersive 360-degree remote viewing) and a Virtual Valuation Service delivered via smartphone or tablet. Supporting operational services include catalogue subscriptions across all 22 departments, comprehensive valuation offerings (free online valuations, home visits, valuation days, insurance valuations, probate/market valuations, private treaty sales), and collections/storage/shipping logistics from a warehouse facility in Andover. Marketing spans YouTube video content, email newsletters and auction alerts, print catalogues, cultural partnerships (Principal Partnership with Pallant House Gallery), and earned media in arts publications.

Dreweatts generates revenue primarily through transaction fees: a 27% buyer's premium (excluding sales tax) on auction purchases plus undisclosed seller-side commissions, with supplementary income from professional valuation services. The go-to-market is sales-led via in-person saleroom attendance, remote bidding assistance, and digital acquisition through remarketing integrations (Google Ads, Facebook) and behaviour analytics (Hotjar, Artbrain). Geographic operations are concentrated in the United Kingdom, though the online platform enables global buyer participation and a Chinese-language website version signals cross-border digital expansion intent.

Name

dreweatts 1759

Legal name

Dreweatts 1759 Ltd

Website

https://dreweatts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1759

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Dreweatts 1759 is a UK auction house founded in 1759 operating 22 specialist departments and 70+ annual auctions across fine art, antiques, jewellery, watches, and wine, serving high-net-worth private collectors and estate sellers through live, timed, and in-person saleroom channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Auction and Valuation Services

NAICS

Jewelry Retailers (45831), Art Dealers (459920)

SIC

Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944)

akta.pro primary industry

Auction Houses (Luxury Watches & Jewelry) (CRAKAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Estate Jewelry & Collection Liquidation Services (CRAKAKAJ)

Keywords

• Fine art auctions
• Antique valuation services
• Estate valuation services
• Online auction bidding
• Collectibles logistics services

Headquarters

HQ city

Newbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Auction Commission (Buyer's Premium): Dreweatts charges a buyer's premium of 27% (excluding sales tax) on all auction purchases. This is the primary revenue stream from transaction fees on auction sales.
2. Seller's Commission: Commission charged to sellers for auctioning items through Dreweatts, typically a percentage of the sale price.
3. Valuation Services: Free online auction valuations, virtual valuations, home visits and valuation days, insurance valuations, probate and market valuations for estates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dreweatts 1759 is a UK auction house that sells fine art, antiques, jewellery, watches, wine, and specialist collections through live and timed auctions. It also provides specialist valuations, remote lot viewing, catalogue subscriptions, and collection, storage, and shipping services.

Product overview

Dreweatts 1759 is a leading UK auction house established in 1759, operating as a traditional auctioneer with over 70 specialist auctions per annum plus single-owner collections and house sales. The company offers two primary auction formats: Live Online Auctions broadcast via Auction Technology Group's platform, and Timed Online Auctions where bids are placed within specified time windows. Supporting services include comprehensive Valuation Services (online, virtual, home visits, and valuation days), Remote Viewing, Collections/Storage/Shipping, and Catalogue Subscriptions. Dreweatts operates 22 specialist departments covering Asian Art, British and European Ceramics and Glass, Sculpture, Clocks and Scientific Instruments, Coins and Medals, Furniture and Carpets, House Sales and Private Collections, Jewellery, Luxury Accessories, Modern and Contemporary Art, Modern Design, Old Master and British/European Art, Silver and Objects of Vertu, Watches, and Wine and Spirits. The company also offers a Virtual Auction Tour feature and an Online Payment Facility. The platform operates through white-label technology provided by Auction Technology Group (ATG/the-saleroom.com) for live bidding functionality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Online Auctions Real-time auction events broadcast online where registered bidders participate remotely while an auctioneer conducts the sale live over the internet.
• Timed Online Auctions Online auctions in which bidders place bids during a specified time window without a live auctioneer.
• Online Valuation Free online auction valuation service in which clients submit an online form and photographs of their items for specialist assessment.
• Virtual Valuation Service Remote valuation service conducted via smartphone or tablet, free of charge and with no obligation to sell.
• Insurance Valuations Specialist valuations and documentation for insurance coverage of valuable items.
• Probate & Market Valuations Estate-management valuations for probate and market purposes that assist executors and families during estate settlement.
• Remote Viewing Service allowing prospective buyers to inspect auction lots remotely before bidding, supported by virtual viewing, high-resolution photography, and condition reports.
• Collections, Storage and Shipping Logistics service handling the collection, storage, and shipping of purchased auction items, including wine delivery.
• Catalogue Subscriptions Subscription service providing regular delivery of auction catalogues across 22 specialist departments.
• House Sales and Private Collections Specialist auction service for single-owner collections and country-house sales.

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pallant House GallerycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDreweatts is Principal Partner of Pallant House Gallery in Chichester, a leading UK art museum. As part of the partnership, Dreweatts supports the Gallery's Public Programmes including the School in Residence programme, which provides arts education to local schools. Chairman Will Richards stated the company places great emphasis on maintaining broadest possible access to the arts.
• Sladmore GalleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDreweatts is hosting Sladmore Gallery's summer exhibition of monumental sculpture from 1 June - 30 September 2026 at Donnington Priory gardens. The exhibition features works by Emile-Antoine Bourdelle, Nic Fiddian-Green, Geoffrey Dashwood, Johnny Hawkes and Kai Nielsen.
• Eridge TrustminorOthersPhilanthropic supporter of Pallant House Gallery's School in Residence programme, which Dreweatts also supports through their Principal Partnership.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sotheby's: Global premier auction house for fine art, luxury collectibles, jewellery, watches, and wine. Competes with Dreweatts in the same collectibles categories but at the very top of the market, defining the premium pricing and consignment landscape that mid-tier houses like Dreweatts must navigate.
• Christie's: One of the world's two leading fine art auction houses operating across art, luxury, jewellery, watches, and wine. Competes with Dreweatts for higher-value consignments and international collectors, but operates at vastly larger scale and price points, serving as a ceiling on Dreweatts' competitive reach in the premium segment.
• Phillips Auctioneers: Global auction house focused on contemporary art, watches, jewellery, and design. Overlaps with Dreweatts' modern/contemporary art, jewellery, and watches departments, though Phillips operates at higher price points with a more international buyer base.

Direct peers

• Bonhams: Global mid-tier auction house offering art, antiques, jewellery, watches, wine, and collectibles across multiple specialist departments. Most direct comparable to Dreweatts in terms of business model, category breadth, and target market of mid-to-upper tier collectors, though at significantly larger scale and with global geographic footprint.
• Lyon & Turnbull: Scottish-based UK auction house offering art, antiques, jewellery, watches, and specialist collections with a similar multi-department model. Closely comparable regional peer competing for UK consignors and estate sales, particularly in Scotland and the north of England.
• Fellows Auctioneers: UK specialist auction house focusing on jewellery, watches, and antique silver with high-volume specialist auctions. Directly comparable business model within Dreweatts' jewellery, watches, and silver departments, competing for similar UK-based vendor clients.
• Sworders: UK regional auction house in Essex operating across fine art, antiques, jewellery, and specialist collections. Highly comparable mid-tier UK auction model with similar customer profile, multi-department structure, and reliance on single-owner estate sales.
• Halls Fine Art: UK regional auction house with departments across fine art, antiques, jewellery, and collectibles. Comparable mid-tier UK auction house serving similar geographic catchment and customer segments, particularly competing for West Midlands and Welsh estate sales.

Others

• Gurrjohns: Parent company of Dreweatts 1759 Ltd and a regional UK auction business. Included as a corporate parent / ecosystem participant rather than a competitive peer, relevant for understanding Dreweatts' group structure, capital allocation, and strategic positioning within the broader UK regional auction sector.
• Auction Technology Group: Provider of the-saleroom.com and Proxibid online auction platforms on which Dreweatts runs live and timed auctions. Critical infrastructure and enabling partner rather than a direct competitor; relevant for understanding Dreweatts' platform dependency and broader industry technology landscape.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCI0JpKTeqMktjnIMd6eWirA/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/Dreweatts1759
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dreweatts-1759

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 dreweatts 1759