Antiques Roadshow guest's jaw drops as they learn whopping value of Rolex watch bought for just £200 and left collecting dust in a drawer

Daily Mail​

02-07-2025

An Antiques Roadshow guest's jaw dropped as they learned the whopping value of a Rolex watch that they bought for just £200.
In a recent episode of the BBC show, which originally aired in 2022, a number of guests travelled to Woodhorn Museum in Northumberland to get their special items looked at.
One man brought along a watch for expert Richard Price to look at.
Richard told the guest: 'So, Rolex collectors obviously know what this is and this is a Rolex Oyster GMT Master.
'And they refer to everything by the reference number. In this case, it is the reference 1675.
'It's also here on the bill of sale which I see is from a Hong Kong retailer in the early part of 1971.
'It's obviously not bought by you so who bought it in 1971?'
And the man explained how he got his hands on it and said: 'It was basically a gift to my dad and about give years ago, he passed it to me for inheritance.
'He's still alive, but he just thought give it to me to see what to do with it and it's been in a drawer ever since!'
Richard then shared the history of the watch, explaining that the airline history in the 40s and 50s made longer trips, and pilots flew on GMT.
Pan American Airways has a discussion with Rolex to develop a watch with an extra hand to set it to GMT - it was developed for the airline in 1954.
The watch became the standard GMT master.
'What is so lovely about this is that you have got all the paper work,' Richard said.
He pointed out that the bezel was original, but the value may have been reduced if it wasn't, but the bracelet wasn't the original.
The expert pointed out that he thought it was purchased for £200, and then went on to say how much he think it is now.
Richard said: 'That £200 50 years ago has actually done quite well.
'If it had the original bracelet with the full set, we could have put two noughts on and made it £20,000.
'But it's not got the original bracelet.
'So I'm going to take it back to in this condition, around £14,000.'
The guest was lost for words and said: 'What?! Woah! No way.'
Richard asked: 'You happy?'
'Yeah!' the guest replied. 'I didn't expect that at all.
It comes after an Antiques Roadshow guest's jaw dropped in shock as she learnt the eye-watering value of her 'exquisite' watch - despite a swipe from a BBC expert.
A recently repeated 2004 episode of the BBC show, which sees specialist appraisers value heirlooms and heritage items, went to Hampton Court Palace in London.
Expert Richard Price met with a woman who had brought in a gorgeous Swiss ball watch she had inherited after a 'very dear friend' passed away.
She explained their relationship: 'I actually used to work for her and her husband was a buyer at one time in Harrods, a jewellery buyer for Harrods.'
The antiques specialist asked if her friend wore it often, to which she replied: 'Yes, she used to wear it nearly every day on her suit lapel.'
Richard was touched - and impressed: 'That's a lovely story and I'll tell you something, it is in absolutely exquisite condition.
An Antiques Roadshow guest's jaw dropped in shock as she learnt the eye-watering value of her 'exquisite' watch - despite a swipe from a BBC expert
The guest was absolutely amazed at the eventual valuation, with her jaw dropping in shock
'There's not a chip out of that enamel anywhere.'
He tried out the mechanism, winding the unusual spherical watch using the bezel and testing the clock hands, before saying it 'does everything it should do'.
The antiques expert showed off its inner workings to the camera, dubbing the delicate metal work 'absolutely typically Swiss'.
'It is an exquisite thing. Wonderful quality', he exclaimed.
But it was not an entirely positive assessment, as the expert took a swipe at the watch's bezel: 'But there's just one thing I'm not entirely happy with.
'The little rose diamonds around the bezel of this watch just don't have quite the same style and class, if I can use that word, of these brilliant cut ones here.'
He asked, as the guest nodded in agreement: 'Do you see how that's just a little bit nicer than the watch itself?'
Richard also had a problem with the chain used to hang the watch: 'I'm not sure that the pendant actually went on with the watch when new.'
But it was not an entirely positive assessment, as the expert took a swipe at the watch's bezel: 'But there's just one thing I'm not entirely happy with'
'The little rose diamonds around the bezel of this watch [left] just don't have quite the same style and class, if I can use that word, of these brilliant cut ones here [right]'
But the appraiser was willing to move past that: 'The colours are so good that it doesn't really matter.
'It blends extremely well because this is an unusual quality of enamel and it's an unusual colour because you've got the dark reds and you've got these lovely almost coral-y petals.'
The guest was not sure what period the watch was from - but Richard used his expertise to identify it: 'Well, these flowers, the petals, leaves, the enamel, it's very sort of art nouveau in style, isn't it?'
'And just looking at the general shape and size of the piece, I'm quite happy to say it's about 1905 to 1910.'
Then came the moment the guest had been waiting for - the valuation.
Richard said: 'Well, you're never going to replace it because you'll never need to.
'But if you went to look for one, I think that's going to cost you an absolute minimum of £6,000 to £7,000.'
The guest was absolutely amazed, with her jaw dropping in shock: 'Oh goodness! Oh goodness me! Thank you, that's wonderful.'
Richard said, laughing: 'Next time somebody takes you out for a lovely dinner, pop it on.'
The woman chuckled, looking towards her partner off camera: 'I'll tell him!'
It comes after an Antiques Roadshow guest was left wide-eyed as an expert gasped 'I need time to come down from this' in response to the 'trickiest item she's ever had to value'.
A repeat episode of the BBC show went to Belton House near the town of Grantham, Lincolnshire.
Expert Hilary Kay met with a woman who had brought in a unique item - the funeral standard of 17th-century English statesman Oliver Cromwell.
He led parliamentary forces in the English Civil Wars in the mid-1600s against King Charles I, helping to overthrow him before his execution in 1649.
The soldier and politician then led the Commonwealth of England that was quickly established, serving as Lord Protector from 1653 until his death in 1658.
Hilary began the segment: 'Sheltering from a passing shower and sheltering with an object which is, I feel, almost radioactive with power.
'It's a very interesting phenomenon to be this close to something that is really quite important.'
The woman explained how such an incredible object came into her possession: 'It was in a collection about seven years ago. My father actually bought the collection of militaria.
'We now own it as a family. It's actually kept in one of our spare rooms and as you say, it's one of those objects that make you tingle.'
With anticipation built up, about an item with such historical value, the valuation could not come sooner - and it did not disappoint.
Hilary said: 'This is about the trickiest thing I've ever had to value.
'It is certain to fetch £25,000 but how much more would it go for?'
The wide-eyed guest was rendered absolutely speechless, with Hilary saying: 'It's going to take me a little while to come down from this.
'It'll take a couple of bars of chocolate and a cup of tea but this has been a really special moment with a really extraordinary object, don't you agree?'