An Antiques Roadshow guest gasped ‘I can’t believe that!’ as he learned the staggering value of a watch bought for £300 – while the BBC crowd erupted into applause.
A repeat episode of the BBC show, which sees specialist appraisers value heirlooms and heritage items, went to Brodie Castle in the Moray area of Scotland.
In the instalment that reran on Sunday, expert Richard Price was asked to assess a 1960s Rolex GMT-Master watch.
The guest said he had owned the timepiece for 32 years, having inherited it from his uncle, who he thought most likely received it as a gift in the sixties.
Richard quickly spotted the specific model on the dial, important to note for this watch brand: ‘All Rolex collectors refer to these things by their reference number.’
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An Antiques Roadshow guest gasped ‘I can’t believe that!’ as he learnt the staggering value of a watch bought for £300
The crowd watching on during the episode of the popular BBC show erupted into applause
In the instalment that reran on Sunday, expert Richard Price was asked to assess a 1960s Rolex GMT-Master watch (pictured)
The expert explained further: ‘It’s the reference 1675, which is the classic GMT-Master.
‘When you said sixties, I think we could fairly safely say 1960 to 1961 so that all fits in.’
Inspecting it further, Richard was delighted to find it unaltered – a rare outcome, as watches are often modified when their owners take them in for servicing.
The appraiser told the guest how watch repairs normally go: ‘They would’ve changed the bezel and they would’ve changed the dial with an upgrade.
‘You would’ve had it back thinking, “Oh, it looks new.” Collectors hate that.’
As to this particular timepiece, by contrast, Richard noted: ‘It’s absolutely original – spot on.’
There was some cause for disappointment, however, over the style of the watch bracelet.
The timepiece had a strap in Rolex’s five-link Jubilee style, as opposed to the brand’s iconic, older, three-link Oyster design.
The timepiece had a strap in Rolex’s five-link ‘Jubilee’ style (pictured), as opposed to the brand’s iconic, older, three-link ‘Oyster’ design
This ‘detracts from it a little bit’, Richard said – probably by ‘a couple of thousand pounds’ sadly, which saw the guest look visibly downcast
Richard explained to the owner: ‘It’s a Rolex product of course but it says “Made in the USA”.
‘So, perhaps [his uncle] specified that he did not want the Oyster bracelet, he wanted a Jubilee bracelet, and they put this one on for him.’
This ‘detracts from it a little bit’, he added – probably by ‘a couple of thousand pounds’ sadly, which saw the guest look visibly downcast.
The expert estimated the watch would have cost around £300 to £350 when the guest’s owner bought it back in the sixties.
The guest simply replied: ‘Wish [my uncle] bought more.’
But even the single watch proved a good investment – as Richard valued it as now being worth £12,000 to £15,000.
The owner was left in utter shock, as the crowd broke into applause.
He exclaimed: ‘I can’t believe that, can’t believe that.’
The watch proved a good investment – as Richard valued it as now being worth £12,000 to £15,000
The guest exclaimed: ‘I can’t believe that, can’t believe that’
It comes after another guest also came in with some surprisingly valuable Rolex timepieces.
A recent instalment of Antiques Roadshow saw expert Ben Wright presented with a pair of Rolex watches.
One of the watches, the Rolex Prince, belonged to the guest’s great-great-grandfather.
The other, more recent one, was the guest’s father’s, who had joined his son to appear on the popular BBC show.
Of the older watch, Ben said: ‘I notice there’s a little bit of wear and tear on the dial and we’ve got a later winder on the case.’
One of the guests replied: ‘It was £21 when it was bought.’
Ben went on to comment on the paperwork that accompanied the watch before looking at the Rolex Submariner, belonging to the father.
‘I was a merchant navy cadet in 1976 and I saved up my pittance to by that in Singapore. It was £250 I think,’ the father revealed.
It comes after another guest also came in with some surprisingly valuable Rolex timepieces (pictured)
One of the watches, the Rolex Prince (pictured), belonged to the guest’s great-great-grandfather
The father and son duo looked stunned, smiling and nodding silently at the whopping values of the timepieces before thanking Ben
The expert then revealed his pricing estimate: ‘At auction, the Rolex Prince is going to be between £3,000 and £4,000.
‘The Submariner – it’s in great condition. All in all, the full ensemble at auction – easily £8,000 to £12,000.’
The father and son duo looked stunned, smiling and nodding silently at the whopping values before thanking Ben.
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and to stream on iPlayer.
