An Air Force veteran appearing in a segment on “Antique Roadshow” probably thought he’d get a few hundred bucks for a watch he bought for $345.97 in 1974. However, its actual value quite literally floored the flabbergasted flyboy.
“A watch like this, at auction, is worth about $400,000,” said appraiser Peter Planes, prompting the man, known as David, to theatrically collapse to the ground. And if that wasn’t enough, David’s particular timepiece could fetch between $500,000 and $700,000, according to the PBS show expert. David had purchased the precious Rolex while stationed in Thailand as a bomb disposal technician in the early 1970s. The veteran then tucked the timepiece away in a safety deposit box for between 30 and 40 years, he said, claiming he only took it out “two or three times to look at it” before bringing it to the “Antiques Roadshow” taping in North Dakota.