I found a broken watch at the bottom of a junk box – I was floored to learn it was worth thousands thanks to key feature
AN Antiques Roadshow guest was left gobsmacked after learning the value of a broken watch he had found in a box of junk.
The BBC show regularly sees guest from all over the country bring in items that they have acquired in unusual ways.
On a recent episode of Antiques Roadshow filmed at Powis Castle in Welshpool, expert Alistair Chandler met a man who had paid £40 for a box of junk to see what he would find.
The man explained: “There were all sorts of bits in [the box] and there were some tools that I wanted, but in the bottom there was some dead watches, and amongst it was that one.”
The watch he had brought in featured a rectangular, square, black face and a dark brown strap.
Alistair was immediately impressed by the timepiece and said he had “come across a jewel.”
The expert went on to tell the guest the watch was by designer brand Jaeger-Lecoultre.
The Swiss manufacturer was founded by Antoine LeCoulture in 1833 and was known for its expensive pieces.
Alastair said this particular watch was made in the 1930s and that “it really does ooze style”.
He continued: “I think, £40 pound you paid for the watch? I think in today’s market, with the interest in wristwatches, and with Jaeger, and given the Asprey retailing name…
“I think someone would easily pay £1,500 to £2,000 for this watch.”
As he announced the value there was an audible gasp among the spectators while the man looked stunned.
He then gathered himself and said: “That wasn’t a bad day of shopping!”
It’s the second time a broken watch has been brought in while filming at Powis Castle.
In an episode that aired last year, a woman told expert Richard Price that the watch face she had brought in had belonged to a pilot during World War II.
But she got a shock when Richard told her that the pilot was likely part of the Nazi air force – the Luftwaffe – and if it could be verified as a German watch, it’s value would increase.
He added it was the “rarest item” and a “good buy” after the lady explained she had bought it for £20 in a shop in Weymouth, Dorset in the 1970s.
Richard then revealed it could fetch anywhere between £8,000 and £10,000.
Antiques Roadshow is available on BBC iPlayer.