I didn’t take my watch off for forty years – I was floored to learn it was worth more than a sports car
AN Antiques Roadshow guest who hadn’t taken his watch off for 40 years was lost for words after he learned the eye-watering value of his classic timepiece.
During an episode of PBS’ hit antiques show, collector Peter Planes and other experts helped many members of the public get a valuation on their precious items.
On the show, a man had brought in his treasured Rolex X Tiffany watch, which his late uncle gifted to him in 1975.
He told the collector that the watch was “purchased it a Tiffany’s New York … right before I was going to go to college, he noticed I wasn’t wearing a watch on my wrist, so he took it off his wrist and gave it to me.”
The man then revealed: “I’ve never taken it off, I’ve worn it almost every day.”
This statement from the guest was proven when the camera zoomed in on his wrist, which had a tan line from where the watch had been placed.
When asked by Peter about the watch’s service history, he explained: “About 18 months to two years ago, I took it in to get it serviced at a Rolex dealer.
“The person at the jewellery store told me that if I did send it into Rolex to be serviced, they would remove the face, put a new face on the watch, and then keep the old face.
“And I didn’t want to do that, so I took it to a different watch repair shop.”
Peter told the guest he was glad he went elsewhere because “when Rolex generally restores a watch, they like to put new parts on them.”
He added: “They don’t like their old parts around because people use the parts to make counterfeit watches with them, or they can take a real dial and put it on a fake watch.”
The expert then asked the item owner: “What do you think the value of the watch is?” and the guest replied: “I have no idea.”
He added: “I’ve taken it to various Rolex stores, from time to time, and I’ve heard everything from … in the early ’80s, $1,200, to people telling me well over $10,000(£7,900).”
Peter then revealed: “If you had it serviced by Rolex and had them replace the bezel insert here, which is all faded out, and replace the dial, polish it up and make it beautiful, your watch, today, would probably bring around $10,000 (£7,900) to $12,000(£9,400). If you had it serviced.”
The guest was more than impressed with what he heard, but the expert stated that the condition of the watch worked in his favour.
Peter said: “I’m very happy that you did not have it serviced that way.
“Collectors like things totally original. They want the original dial, even with the oxidation on it, even the faded bezel is very collectable.
“Today, in the retail market, your watch is worth $50,000(£40,000).”
The astonished owner remarked, “Oh, good grief.”
“That’s, uh… that is absolutely stunning to me.”
“I think the highest I ever heard was $30,000(£24,000), which I thought was crazy and outrageous, but the fact that it’s worth $50,000 is startling to me.”
Another US Antiques Roadshow guest was left gobsmacked after discovering that a pair of trainers his mum had picked up from the rubbish was worth thousands of pounds.
With the help of antiques expert Jasmani Francis, the guest discovered that the run-down shoes were worth between $20,000 (£15,000) and $30,000 (£24,000).