An Antiques Roadshow guest was left floored by the value of a vintage Rolex he brought to have inspected by the BBC show’s expert on Sunday’s episode.
But the guest was in part left stunned because of the amount he had narrowly missed out on due to a lack of paperwork, as one of the show’s experts informed him during the gathering in Wells, Somerset.
Fiona Bruce and the experts returned to Bishop’s Palace in Wells, Somerset, for the third time in Antiques Roadshow’s history to inspect a stream of fascinating objects.
Viewers were hit between the eyes with an unexpectedly big-figure valuation partway through the show when a guest presented a Rolex watch.
The antique expert explained: “The saving grace about this watch, which is why we're here now, is right now you've got the original certificate, plus you've got the bill of sale, plus you've got the import paper, which isn't that relevant, but it's nice to see.”
He continued: “That is important. Sometimes paperwork can literally add 30 percent to the value of your watch.
“The great news is that the case is original. The bracelet has been replaced, but actually, it's with a good early bracelet. The bracelet on its own is worth 1,000.”
He then gave his final verdict, saying: “At auction today, even with a replaced dial, it's going to be worth between £8,000 and £12,000. So, that's pretty good news.”
The watch owner gasped, as did a number of onlookers at the valuation, but the mood then turned sombre when the show’s expert asked: “Do you want the bad news as well?”
He added: “If it had the original glossy guild dial as we call them, with the original hands, with the original markers on the dial, plus the paperwork, you'd be in the realms of £20,000 to £30,000,” leaving the owner looking slightly more deflated than moments prior.
The show filmed in Bishop's Palace in Wells also included a blues guitar, a broken plate by the Victorian designer Augustus Pugin, and a piece of street art on a metal panel.
BBC viewers were also treated to the story of one of the first female gymnasts to compete in the Olympics in 1928 before Fiona was challenged to put three pieces of stunning Fabergé jewellery in order of value.
This comes after an expert on Antiques Roadshow was surprised to learn a guest had paid just £17 for a "rare and special" antique.
A guest who had brought an object which she believed to be a "granary door," with her said to have purchased the item in San Francisco – and it turned out to be worth up to £600.
"There was a vendor selling African antiques and this one peaked my curiosity. I couldn't learn that much about it on the internet so I'm hoping [they] can help me," she said.
The item was assessed by antiques specialist Ronnie Archer-Morgan, who explained that it originates in west Africa and had belonged to the Lobi people in the region.
He speculated it probably dates back to the 20th century at the earlier, with him further revealing that the "very unusual" object is a form of currency from the area.
