My watch got mangled in my lawnmower – it was left in tatters but I was shocked to discover how much it was still worth
A GUEST on Antiques Roadshow was left perplexed when his “derelict” watch was given a shocking valuation.
Sunday’s episode came from Swanage in Dorset where Fiona Bruce held court over proceedings.
On the show, there was one item that looked like it belonged in the bin let alone in an auction house.
It all came in the form of a guest’s watch – deemed as “derelict” due to its appearance.
The Omega watch looked nothing more than a run-down piece of rubbish when it was presented to the experts on the BBC One show.
It became memorable as the first watch to be worn on the moon by the astronaut’s Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong.
As a result, when the watch was created it determined the wealth that it carried.
Expert Richard Price questioned the man on how it got into its “extremely derelict” state.
In response, he said: “It, unfortunately, went through the lawnmower.”
Divulging further, he added: “We had a burglary… and somehow or other, they must have dropped that in the grass.
“Several months later, my wife was turning the compost heap, and lo and behold, what did she find?”
Confirming he purchased the watch around 1965, the guest was expecting to be told the item held no significant value after it was left badly battered in the lawnmower incident.
The watch’s strap was also a stand-out with Richard admitting that as that had remained in good condition then it
But he could not have predicted what Richard was about to tell him.
He said: “Look into having it restored.
“Assuming you can get these pieces [the missing items], in good condition with that strap, I see it being retailable for towards £18,000 to £20,000.”
The onlookers were left gasping as the owner of the watch could not believed what he was hearing.
The strap itself was worth at least £3,000 as the guest said: “I came along, expecting you to say, ‘it’s a load of rubbish’.”