'Antiques Roadshow' expert reveals one detail that could have raised Rolex's value to $1 million
Most people are aware that Rolex watches are coveted luxury timepieces, and older models are considered vintage items worth a lot of money. But, despite this, guests who bring Rolex watches to "Antiques Roadshow" are unaware of how much their prized possessions are worth. When a guest brought in a rare 1953 Rolex Moonphase Calendar Watch, the show's expert, Peter Planes, was pleasantly surprised. However, the guest was the one who got the shock of his life when he learned that his grandfather's Rolex was worth $45,000, and that it could have been worth more than a million dollars only if it had a strong dial.
The guest shared that the watch was passed down to him from his grandfather, and its details intrigued him since childhood. "He had worn it when I was a little child, all the time that I knew him. He wore this watch, and it intrigued me just because of the moon phases," the guest told Planes. He further added that he took the watch to a repair shop after he got it, but the worker told him that it wasn't worth fixing because a new face had been put on it. "My grandfather always liked the Twist-O-Flex, and so he always took the bracelet off. I put a Twist-O-Flex watchband on," he said.
Planes then took over to explain the significance of the rare but popular watch. "The case is made out of stainless steel, and this particular model is a self-winding or automatic winding watch. It's not waterproof," he explained. He added that the watch had moon phases and a calendar, but there was something more unique. "I want to point out something on this watch here. We have the Coronet or the crown for Rolex right there, and on the bottom. Most of the Rolexes have the serial numbers in between the lugs, which is where the band attaches, or inside the case, but not on the outside of the case," he said. He explained that on most of these watches, the serial number wears out first, but this watch had it preserved.
Planes further explained that the watch was particularly rare as Rolex made only about 1,000 pieces in three years between 1950 and 1953. "The dial or the face of the watch has been refinished or repainted. That greatly detracts from the value of the watch. The case of the watch is really very very sharp. It's got very sharp edges on the lugs. As we showed on the back of it, the serial number, the Coronet is very strong so it's got a great case on it," he further added. When Planes asked the guest what value he would put on the watch, the guest said he was looking for about $300. This set him up for a big surprise as the appraiser had something big in store. "I think easily, today at auction, would be $35,000 to $45,000 in the condition it's in," Planes said.
The value shocked the guest, who could only say, "That's a big surprise... well that's great." Planes went on to say that in his ten years on the show, he has never come across a Rolex moon phase, so it was really nice to see the piece.
"I've been waiting for one. You brought it in, so I appreciate that. If it had a very strong dial this watch could be $1,000,000," Planes told the guest in the end.
