'Antiques Roadshow' guest can't believe he was walking around with a $100,000 Rolex on his wrist
Watches passed on from fathers to their sons are among the most intimate heirlooms, and it has been a tradition across the globe to preserve such timepieces with care. Such items passed down through generations often make it to "Antiques Roadshow," and while people hold them close to their hearts for sentimental value, they seldom have any clue about how much money they're worth. One such guest was Oscar, who inherited a '1978 Rolex Daytona Cosmograph' from his father and showed it to the expert Jeff Cohen. The man shared that he had worn the watch several times, as he didn't think much about preserving its value. But, in the end, Oscar was in shock and disbelief after learning that he had been walking around with a timepiece worth more than $100,000 on his wrist, and its great condition increased the value.
In the episode, Oscar mentioned that the watch had been in his family for decades, and he shared its custody with his brother. "My dad left it when he passed away. When we were growing up, my twin and I, we were, we would always kind of fight for it, because we always thought it was, like, a nice piece of watch," he told Cohen. He further added that in the end, their father decided that whoever got the highest education would eventually get the watch. It was Oscar who got the furthest with a Master's degree, but he chose to share the watch with his brother. "It is just something sentimental," he added.
The appraiser revealed that the watch was a Rolex Daytona Cosmograph, a popular model for collectors. "The reference number is 6263. I looked at the serial numbers, and this watch was manufactured in 1978," Cohen told the guest. "It's been given all kinds of different names that only exist in the collectible community. So yours is known as the panda dial," he added, before mentioning, "Most collectors feel that this is the most pleasing dial of all the watches."
Cohen further explained that the model had 'screw-down waterproof buttons' which were added later in the production to solve a problem that the previous models had. "In the earlier models of this watch, the buttons could accidentally be depressed, and you might start off a timer or stop a timer inadvertently. So to fix that problem, they decided, Let's make them screw-down," he explained.
Coming to the condition of the watch, Cohen explained that the dial was in perfect condition with no fading, and no chipping, which means no moisture ever got in. "Your crystal that covers the watch, that's acrylic. It's got a little bit of scratching. But what I like about this is that you've left it just as your dad gave it to you," he said, stressing that it was an important feature that collectors like to see.
Cohen then revealed that similar models at auction had been going for 'crazy numbers.' "So, in today's retail market, this watch is going to sell for $95,000 to $105,000," the appraiser said, almost knocking the guest off his boots. "Oh, my God, no way. Oh, my God. That's crazy!" an elated Oscar exclaimed in response.
The guest went on to say that he had no idea that he had been carrying about $100,000 on his wrist on the subway. "I love wearing it, but definitely I'm not gonna wear it that often," he said in the end.
