'Antiques Roadshow' guest says 'you're kidding' after expert revealed the value of his vintage watch

The guest said that he did not ever dare to wear the watch given how long it had been in his family.

PUBLISHED JUL 31, 2025

Screenshot showing the guest (L) and the entrepreneur on "Antiques Roadshow" (Cover image source: YouTube | BBC Antiques Roadshow)

Family heirlooms are some of the most frequent items to appear on "Antiques Roadshow," since viewers are inspired by the show to dig out details about them. One such guest, who turned up with a timepiece, said that he wasn’t a watch collector, but the one he had brought to the show had been passed down through generations since his grandfather's time. When the item was appraised, he could hardly believe his luck.

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The watch was made by Gubelin, one of the leading watchmakers in the world. This one had a rectangular dial, which wasn’t unique but not as common as the round dial watches. The expert said that the watch was made of white gold. However, the most interesting part of the item was what was inside. The expert took out a knife and subtly removed the casing that covered the back of the watch to take a look at the mechanism.

“It’s actually a minute-repeating wristwatch,” he said, before adding, “Now, the particular movement here is 29 jewels. It’s beautifully finished, machine-decorated all over. It’s adjusted for seven positions. That means temperature, seven adjustments on it, rather, that means for temperature, for positions, and for various different types. And seven is almost as many adjustments as they make. It means the watch was tested before it was delivered in various positions and at various different temperatures.”

Screenshot showing the watch. (Image credit: YouTube | BBC Antiques Roadshow) — Screenshot showing the watch. (Image source: YouTube | BBC Antiques Roadshow)

“The actual train of wheels here is made out of a gold alloy,” he added. The expert also pointed out a unique feature that he demonstrated by pulling a small lever, and the watch started making a ringing sound. “The hours, the quarters, and the minutes on the two gongs,” he said.

One element of the watch that might not have been original was the band. It was also made of white gold, but it did not bear the same marks as the watchmaker that the back of the watch or the inside did. However, that did not mean that the item wouldn’t fetch a good price. When asked if the guest ever wore it, he said that he “wouldn’t dare” to do so.

Screenshot showing the inside of the watch. (Image credit: YouTube | BBC Antiques Roadshow) — Screenshot showing the inside of the watch. (Image source: YouTube | BBC Antiques Roadshow)

When it was time to appraise the item, the expert admitted to being put in a bit of a spot, as the market for watches wasn’t the most stable. At the time of the shoot, the market was looking good, and the expert said that the particular watch would bring in no less than £50,000 ($66,783). “What? You’re kidding,” the guest said in disbelief after learning this. He was a bit speechless as well.