Latest news with #GMT-Master
Edinburgh Live
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- Edinburgh Live
BBC Antiques Roadshow guest speechless as £1 vase bought at boot sale makes staggering value
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Antiques Roadshow's Eric Knowles was left gobsmacked when a glass vase, purchased for a mere £1 at a car boot sale, was valued at an astonishing amount. A woman from Ayrshire, who wished to remain anonymous, brought the vase to the BBC show for evaluation, not anticipating the staggering valuation she would receive. The vase was identified as a 1929 piece by famed French designer René Lalique, after being scrutinised by experts at Dumfries House near Cumnock, and was valued at a minimum of £25,000. The five-inch-tall glass vase was crafted using an ancient technique known as cire perdue. This complex method involves creating a wax model that is encased in plaster, then melted away and replaced with molten glass, with the plaster mould being broken away once the glass cools to reveal the final creation. The market value for Lalique pieces has seen a significant increase in recent years. Antiques Roadshow expert Eric Knowles shared his excitement with the Irvine Herald: "It's wonderful to find treasures like this beautiful vase during the programme's filming," reports the Express. (Image: BBC) He continued: "It certainly gives us all a buzz and we thoroughly enjoy meeting people everywhere we go. I've been waiting over 25 years for such a piece to come in, and this was the stuff of dreams. They'd dumped it in the attic after the plant in it died and were about to throw it away. We had a lot of clouds in Dumfries, but this was the cloud with a silver lining. It's worth at least £25,000." The vase ultimately fetched a whopping £32,450 at auction, exceeding its previous valuation by £7,000. This follows a rerun of the beloved BBC programme, which aired on Sunday, June 8. Viewers were transported to Brodie Castle in Scotland, where a parade of treasures awaited appraisal. Among them was a man who wowed Richard with a 1960s Rolex GMT-Master, inherited from his uncle. Richard, peering intently at the watch, informed the owner: "All Rolex collectors refer to these things by their reference number," and "You know as well as I do, because it says so on the dial, that it's a GMT-Master." (Image: BBC) Richard explained: "It's the reference 1675, which is the classic GMT-Master. When you said 60s, I think we could fairly safely say 1960 to 1961, so that all fits in." Upon closer inspection, Richard was thrilled to find the watch unaltered, noting that many watches are often modified during servicing, much to collectors' dismay. He said: "They would've changed the bezel and they would've changed the dial with an upgrade," before adding:"You would've had it back thinking, 'Oh, it looks like new'. Collectors hate that, it's absolutely original, spot-on." The expert told the owner: "It's a Rolex product, of course, but it says 'Made in the USA'. So perhaps he specified that he did not want the oyster bracelet; he wanted a jubilee bracelet, and they put this one on for him. "Which sort of detracts from it a little bit, probably detracts from it by a couple of thousand pounds." However, Richard had some good news as well, revealing that the watch is worth "£12,000 to £15,000." You can catch Antiques Roadshow every Sunday at 8pm on BBC1.
Edinburgh Live
12 hours ago
- General
- Edinburgh Live
Antiques Roadshow guest gushes 'I can't believe that' as value of inherited item unveiled
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A guest on Antiques Roadshow was utterly astounded by the hefty valuation given to his Rolex watch by expert Richard Price. During a rerun of the much-loved BBC show, which aired on Sunday 8th June, Brodie Castle served as the backdrop for a host of valuable discoveries. The episode showcased a man who presented Richard with a 1960s Rolex GMT-Master that once belonged to his uncle. Richard, examining the timepiece closely, told the owner: "All Rolex collectors refer to these things by their reference number," and "You know as well as I do because it says so on the dial that it's a GMT-Master." The owner shared that he had held onto the watch for about 32 years after inheriting it from his uncle, reports the Express. (Image: BBC) He guessed that the watch might have been a present to his uncle in the 1960s, leading Richard to investigate its provenance further. Richard clarified: "It's the reference 1675, which is the classic GMT-Master when you said 60s, I think we could fairly safely say 1960 to 1961, so that all fits in." Upon closer examination, Richard was delighted to discover the watch was unmodified, pointing out that many watches are often altered during servicing, which can disappoint collectors. He detailed: "They would've changed the bezel and they would've changed the dial with an upgrade," and then remarked: "You would've had it back thinking, 'Oh, it looks like new'. Collectors hate that, it's absolutely original, spot-on." The expert was then left a tad disappointed after inspecting the watch further, noting that it sported a jubilee bracelet rather than the original oyster type. He informed the downcast owner: "It's a Rolex product of course, but it says 'Made in the USA'. So perhaps he specified that he did not want the oyster bracelet, he wanted a jubilee bracelet and they put this one on for him. "Which sort of detracts from it a little bit, probably detracts from it by a couple of thousand pounds." (Image: BBC) The guest's spirits dipped further when Richard valued the watch at what would have been £300 to £350 in the early 60s. Reacting to the valuation, the guest said ruefully: "Wish he bought more." However, Richard had some uplifting news, announcing that the Rolex is likely worth £12,000 to £15,000. The guest was left utterly gobsmacked as applause erupted around him. Visibly moved, he uttered: "I can't believe that, can't believe that." Antiques Roadshow is streaming now on BBC iPlayer.
Forbes
03-04-2025
- General
- Forbes
Auction: Two Of The Rarest Sports Watches At Monaco Legend Group
Exclusive Timepieces auction. The first auction season of 2025 is finally kicking off with none other than Monaco Legend Group's Exclusive Timepieces spring sale on April 26th and 27th. Enough with the intro, let's jump straight into two of the rarest and most collectable sports pieces from Rolex and Patek Philippe which will be making an appearance. Lot 22 is an absolute gem for anyone following the vintage Rolex market. This GMT-Master is a reference 6542, the very reference for all the Rolex GMT-Master wristwatches. But there are two particularities on this example which make it a grade 1 tier above anything else we've seen before. 6542 with Albino white dial and steel insert. Exclusive Timepieces auction, lot 22, estimate between ... More EUR 120,000 and EUR 240,000. Firstly is the distinct lack of Bakelite bezel which is what's usually most recognisable on a 6542. This example with serial number 461,420 is part of the last batch and instead features a steel bezel which was supposedly introduced towards the very end of the lifespan of the 6542. Whilst the Bakelite was prone to cracking over the years, this steel insert has faded into a ghost like shade. Faded steel insert. Secondly and most importantly, this 6542 features not a black dial but a white Albino dial, which for many years remained a bit of a mystery due to its extreme rarity. Just to give you a little idea of exactly how rare these white dials are, EveryWatch displays well over 250 auction results for the 6542 and this is the first time an Albino has ever appeared. The radium lume on the hour markers and hands have developed a rich orange patina, which some people call Pumpkin or Caramel. Aged radium lume present on the indexes and hands. To top it off, this 6542 from 1959 was picked up by a Chilean Marine-Infantary soldier who kept it as he climbed through the ranks of the Armada de Chile and all the way until today. Basically, this is the first opportunity a bidding floor will have ever had to acquire not only a watch of this kind, but one with next level provenance dating back over six decades. Chilean Marine Infantry soldier who has owned the watch until today. On the right he can be seen ... More sporting it like a true gent. Next on the list lot 229, a Patek Philippe 5711 in steel with a blue dial. Just kidding, this is something seriously seriously stealthy, and the clue with Patek always lies in the vibrancy of the dial (I'll come back to this). This watch does look pretty ordinary as far as a 5711 goes, but that's where the beauty lies. As we all know, Patek Philippe unveiled the 5711 in steel around 2006 with a blue dial and Geneva Sealed calibre 315 SC, later transitioning to calibre 324 SC with the Patek Philippe Seal. 5711/1P-010 cased in platinum. Exclusive Timepieces auction, lot 229, estimate between EUR 400,000 ... More and EUR 800,000. 10 years later marked 40 years of the Nautilus, and Patek unveiled a 5711 in platinum with baguette indexes and a visible dial inscription to mark the occasion: 1967 -40- 2016. This featured a much brighter and more vivid blue dial compared to the regular steel version just to give it a subtle difference. What some people don't know is that the 5711 in platinum had existed before, and not too long before. 5711/1P-010 This is where the present watch at Monaco Legend Group comes in, as it was part of this limited series made for the upper crust of Patek collectors in as little as 10-20 examples. The dial had no baguette indexes or dial inscription, leaving just the vivid hue, platinum date window frame and tiny diamond in the case as a clue to how incredibly special this piece was. On the street, you'd likely spot none of those. This marks one of a handful of times this piece baring reference 5711/1p-010 has appeared at auction.
