Veteran takes Rolex to ‘Antiques Roadshow.’ Watch as appraisal knocks him off his feet

An Air Force veteran got the surprise of a lifetime when he took a watch to be appraised on “Antiques Roadshow” in West Fargo, North Dakota.

The man was stationed in Thailand in the mid-70s when he noticed commercial airline pilots wearing Rolex watches, he told the appraiser in the video.

Though he was intrigued by the watches, he said he deemed Rolex too expensive. Eventually, he purchased a 1971 Rolex Oyster Cosmograph at a more affordable price — $345 — through a base exchange.

He intended to use it for scuba diving, he said on the show.

However, he told the appraiser he never wore the watch diving because it was too nice. After he left the military, he put the Rolex in a safety deposit box where it stayed for 30 or 40 years, he said in the video, adding that he’d only take it out every once in a while to look at it.

In the video, the appraiser tells the man his watch has a number of qualities that make it special, specifically the Oyster case — which features screw-down buttons that make the watch more water-resistant — and a foil on the back of the face which would have worn off had the watch been worn regularly.

The appraiser explains that the watch is well-loved by collectors because Paul Newman wore a similar model — a Cosmograph that was not an Oyster — in the movie “Winning.”

The appraiser tells the man the Oyster Cosmograph is extremely rare, explaining that similar watches go for $400,000 at auction.

The news sent the man comically to the ground, but the appraiser had even more news.

“Don’t fall,” the appraises says, “I’m not done yet.”

Because it had barely been worn, had documentation and the foil on the back, the appraiser says the man’s watch would bring between $500,000 and $700,000 at auction.

“You’ve gotta be s----ing me,” the man says, laughing.

The appraiser assured him he was serious, and thanked him for bringing the watch to the show.

“In this condition, I don’t think there’s a better one in the world,” the appraiser tells him. “I can’t thank you enough for bringing me one of the greatest watches to ever see on ‘Antiques Roadshow’ and thank you very much for your service.”

But he was quick to add: “You can’t wear it, though.”

This story was originally published January 28, 2020 at 9:27 AM.