Staff at a charity shop were left “shaken – and a little stirred” after a vintage Rolex Oyster watch was handed in by an anonymous donor.

The classic timepiece, which is being auctioned to help raise funds for homelessness charity Shelter Scotland, became a style statement in the 1950s after it was famously worn by James Bond in Ian Fleming’s books.

Staff at Shelter Scotland’s shop in Morningside, Edinburgh, initially dismissed the watch as a fake, before an independent valuation revealed it could be worth as much as £1,000.

Paul Knowles, manager of the shop, said: “At first we didn’t think much of it. It was in a sack with other things that had been delivered to the shop.

“Little did we know that it contained a watch favoured by an international spy with a licence to kill.”

The vintage 1950s watch with a pigskin leather strap, stainless steel body and bevelled glass face is said to be in need of a little repair but in mint condition could fetch as much as £7,000.

It is hoped a silent auction – by way of sealed envelope bids to the shop – will raise some much-needed funds for the charity. There is a minimum bid of £200 and it closes on 18 December.

Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, said: “Although we don’t know who donated the watch, we would like to thank them for their generosity.”