'Antiques Roadshow' guest was in disbelief after finding out the original owner of his WWI watch

The expert said that the history of the watch would at least double its value.

PUBLISHED JUL 30, 2025

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

"Antiques Roadshow" is not just a place to find out the monetary value of an item, but experts on the show also reveal stories behind vintage timepieces and artifacts. Such an item was a watch that was supposedly made during the First World War and turned up on the show. But as the history of the watch was traced, the name of the real owner was what stunned the guest.

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The expert was fascinated by the watch, and the first thing he did was take a look at the back. The company name, Omega, was present, as were finer details that proved the watch was one that fighter jet pilots used to wear during WWI. The watch had giant markings, which made it easier for the wearer to see, and it was supposedly worn over the sleeve of the jacket.

The guest said that he had “bought it off a chap” in Newport Market in South Wales, a little more than two decades before the show was being recorded. He said that the watch was not in the best condition at the time, as it wasn’t keeping time properly and had to be repaired. The total cost the guest had to incur, which included the cost of buying the watch and having it repaired, was about £90 ($120).

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

This was a lot of money to buy and repair a watch at the time. Thankfully, the value of the watch had gone up over the years. The expert said that the watch itself was worth around £2,000 ($2,671). However, this wasn’t an ordinary air force pilot’s watch from back in the day. This one had a bill of repair dated 1933 and made out to an individual named TE Shaw. This name made all the difference when ascertaining the actual value of the watch.

TE Shaw was the pseudonym adopted by Thomas Edward Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia. According to the expert, after WWI, Lawrence had joined the RAF as a pilot under the name Shaw and had kept his first two initials the same. This revelation changed things.

Screenshot showing the bill of repair. (Image credit: YouTube | BBC Antiques Roadshow)

“Good God,” the guest said upon learning this. He had believed that Lawrence of Arabia was a fictional character. The expert did not have a clear idea of how much the watch would be worth given its history. “I’d double that, maybe £5,000 ($6,678), maybe £10,000 ($13,357)." the expert said. “Good God. I'd better get it insured then,” the guest responded.