A RARE watch is being donated from a York jewellers to help the victims of September 11.

Harpers Jewellers, Minster Gates, decided to give a Longines watch commemorating the opening of New York's Empire State Building from 1931 to its associates, Sotheby's. All the money it fetches at auction will be given to the September 11 fund. Director Jonathan Scatchard said: "One of the dealers had it, and I liked it, I thought it was quirky and unusual."

He then decided to show it to one of his associates from Sotheby's in New York. "She thought it was fantastic. We got talking about September 11 and she had known people in it, and I decided there was only one thing to do - use it for publicity and get the price up, and donate the money to the families."

The watch, which has hands the shape of the Empire State Building, will be sent to New York within the next few days, and is expected to fetch at least $1,000 in the Internet auction at sothebys.com taking place in February 2002.

Updated: 11:14 Saturday, December 15, 2001