An elderly man brought an old wristwatch to Antiques Roadshow. They turned out to be valuable.
The TV show Antiques Roadshow was invented in England in the 70s. Professional antique experts travel around the country and help evaluate items brought by local people.
Interesting and valuable finds are filmed on television. Now analogues of the show have appeared in many countries of the world (USA, Canada, etc.).
Anyone can bring old things for appreciation. Sometimes, among ordinary objects, real treasures come across.
Valuable acquisition
One of the participants in the show in the USA was an elderly man, a retired military man. While serving in Germany 55 years ago, he bought a Swiss Rolex GMT watch for $ 120.
In the 1960s, the amount of $ 120 was huge. The salary in the army was less than $ 100 per month. The man carefully kept the watch and in 2019, many years later, he decided to find out how much the thing he purchased was worth.
Expert Opinion
The antiques appraiser invited to the TV show immediately realized that he had a valuable copy in front of him. He carefully examined the watch several times and looked in surprise at the old man.
An antique expert said: “The minimum cost for this watch model is between 35,000 and 45,000 US dollars.”
“Your item is in excellent condition. You saved all original watch parts, a box, a brochure, tags, a receipt and a certificate confirming that this is a genuine Rolex GMT watch with a chronometer, ”the expert commented.
“Now this watch with the whole set of documents can cost about 65,000 - 75,000 US dollars! This was the first batch of the Rolex GMT model, and now it is a valuable item that many watch collectors are looking for! ”Said the evaluator.
Watch Owner Reaction
The pensioner looked at the watch that he bought 55 years ago, and could not believe his ears.
He said that it was his friend at work who advised him to buy a watch.
One sergeant told me: “Before you return home to the USA, go buy a Rolex watch!” The man recalls.
“He recommended that I buy them, and then I was young and did not know what Rolex was, but I went and bought this model. I carefully kept all the documents with the original box for many years. "
Hearing that the auction price was between 65,000 and 75,000 US dollars, the man took a deep breath and said: “I would be very glad if you told me that their price is about 1,500 US dollars. I really like this watch, I can’t believe that it is so valuable.
The organizers of the show advise people to pay attention to the old things that they have in their house! Sometimes a thing that is inconspicuous at first glance can cost a fortune.
The elderly military man was lucky, once he acquired a very valuable watch, which now can become an adornment of any collection.
