Featured on the popular show “Antiques Roadshow,” an Army vet is stunned when he hears that his old Rolex watch is now worth around $700,000.
The veteran shares with the appraiser, Peter Planes, that he was stationed in southeast Asia in the 1970s when he became interested in Rolex watches. He saw a lot of pilots wearing these watches which sparked his fascination.
The particular watch that he purchased was the Rolex Oyster Cosmograph. This specific model is popular with collectors because Paul Newman wore it in the 1969 movie “Winning”.
The veteran wanted to find a watch that he could eventually wear while scuba diving, a pastime that he enjoyed. He thought that this Rolex model would stand up to taking it underwater.
"I found this particular watch where I could afford it, and I never used it. I looked at it and I said, `You know, this is really too nice to take down in salty water,'" he
said. "I just kept it."
After paying $345.97 for the Rolex watch, the vet ultimately decided to just keep it in a safe deposit box, along with all the purchase documents. He held on to that watch for nearly half a century before taking it to the “Antiques Roadshow” showroom.
When Peter Planes saw the watch, he knew he had some incredible news to share with the Army vet.
"Because of the condition of it, basically, it's a new old stock watch, no wear on it," Planes
shares. "We have all this complete documentation here, also, maybe one of the very few in the whole world that still was never worn, your watch, at auction, today, $500,000 to $700,000."
The watch owner falls to the floor in utter disbelief! His heels go over his head as he tries to process that shocking amount.
"You OK?" Planes says as he goes to check on him.
What a stunning discovery! I’m sure that veteran is glad to have held on to that treasure for all these years!
