The real worth of a ‘unique’ damaged watch has left another guest dumbfounded throughout the years, according to Antiques Roadshow.
From rare Hollywood antiques purchased for £5 to original Teletubbies drawings, you never know what may pop up on the long-running BBC series.
On Sunday’s show, which aired from Powis Castle in east Wales, one woman was astounded to learn the worth of an ancient watch.
She told expert Richard Price that it was most likely used by a pilot during WWII, and Richard agreed with her well-researched assumptions.
However, Richard went on to say that the pilot who used the watch was most likely a member of the Luftwaffe, the Nazi air force that existed between 1933 and 1946.
This chilling detail meant that, if it could be verified as a German watch, its value would increase because ‘it’s the one that [antique collectors] want’.
Richard discovered its genuine worth was far greater after the visitor said she got it for £20 from a store in Weymouth, Dorset in the 1970s.
He described it as a “rarest item,” and disclosed that it was a “good buy” from the visitor, with a price range of £8,000 to £10,000.
After recovering herself, the woman remarked that she would probably not be returning the extremely precious watch to her father after the ordeal was over.
During the video, it was clear that, despite being over 80 years old, the watch was still in excellent operating order and displayed the correct time.
Those present at the recording, listening in on the exchange, were noticeably surprised by the price, with several unable to conceal their surprise.
It comes only weeks after a visitor on Antiques Roadshow discovered that a Hollywood movie score he purchased for £5 was actually worth up to £1,000.
Earlier this year, a lady discovered a 1915 ring in her mother’s sock drawer; after chatting with specialists, she realised it would cost £20,000 at auction.
Watch Antique Roadshow on Sunday at 8pm on BBC Two.
