An Antiques Roadshow guest appeared to pass out after receiving an eye-watering valuation on the US version of the show.
The guest brought a Rolex watch to be valued on the programme in Florida, but could not believe it when auctioneer Peter Planes told him how much the item was worth.
The owner explained that he bought the Rolex by mail order for $345.97 (£277) more than 40 years ago, after hearing that the watches were great for Scuba diving.
READ MORE: Antiques Roadshow hosts now – Rear of The Year, tragic deaths and cancer battle
However, he decided against wearing the watch while in the sea and instead kept it in its box, complete with the original paperwork and reference number on the back.
(Image: PBS)
As the box still included the original reference number – 6263 – the auctioneer was able to date the item and revealed that this particular model of watch was actually a rare model.
“Your watch is more special – it says Oyster on it,” explained the auctioneer.
“They did that for an extremely short period of time. We refer to that as a mark two dial.
“This particular model, being marked Oyster is extremely, extremely rare.”
(Image: PBS)
Due to its rarity, the auctioneer continued to tell the guest: “A watch like this, at auction, is worth about $400,000 (£317,000).”
After hearing the stunning news, the owner jokingly pretended to faint on the floor, leaving onlookers laughing in the background.
The auctioneer asked if the guest was ok, before saying: “Don’t fall, I’m not done yet.”
The owner then received even more eye-opening news as the auctioneer continued to give a higher valuation, because the item had never been worn.
(Image: PBS)
He revealed the item could be worth anything between $500,000 (£397,000) to $700,000 (£555,000) – leaving viewers and the owner in shock.
It is not the first time a watch has been given a jaw-dropping valuation, after a 2004 episode of Antiques Roadshow US saw a Patek Phillipe watch valued at $1.5m (£1.19m).
The owner of the watch, Robert, explained on the show that the watch was created by Swiss watchmaker Patek Phillippe and had become a family heirloom.
He said: “This watch was handed down from my great-grandfather,” adding: “It was handed down from him to my father, and then he gave it to me.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
