Antiques Roadshow guest left stunned by ‘ridiculous’ value of rare Omega watch that was run over by a lawnmower
An Antiques Roadshow guest was amazed at the “ridiculous” value of his damaged watch.
The BBC show returned for a brand new series on Sunday night, taking the antiques experts to Swanage Pier and the seafront.
Among the treasures on display was a rare Omega watch that suffered the unfortunate fate of being run over by a lawnmower.
Expert Richard Price, however, was quick to assure the couple that the timepiece is salvageable and valuable.
He said, “As you know, this was the first watch to be worn on the moon, but in the watch industry there is an unfortunate word for when something is in very bad condition. We call it deserted and this is quite deserted. How did it get to this condition?’
Wow! An Antiques Roadshow guest was amazed at the “ridiculous” value of his damaged watch
Antiques: Among the treasures on display was a rare Omega watch that suffered the unfortunate fate of being run over by a lawnmower
The guest then explained, “It went through my lawnmower, unfortunately. Our house was broken into and they probably dropped it in the grass when they left. My wife later found it in the compost bin.
He added, “I bought it in late 1965 or early 1966 and it was second-hand.”
Despite the damage, expert Richard confirmed the watch would still be worth thousands if the couple had it repaired.
He said: ‘Assuming you can get these pieces in good condition with that strap, I can see it retailing for between £18 and £20,000. And the belt alone is worth £3,000.’
The male guest said, ‘I’m amazed, I’m excited, I mean I came here believing it was basically beyond repair, kind of rubbish. My son will be thrilled because he wants to inherit it.”
Fans were shocked by the rating, with one penning on Twitter: ‘Only the Omega metal strap > £3,000, flippity jibbins’
another wrote: ‘I’ve been in the garden so I may have missed it, but a ridiculous price for a broken watch’
Elsewhere on the show, a guest was amazed to discover the value of the miniature silver teapot he had inherited from his great-uncle and aunt.
The tiny teapot fits perfectly in the palm of a hand and was hailed as ‘the most beautiful teapot’ expert Duncan Campbell had ever seen.
He said, ‘This is the most beautiful teapot I’ve ever seen on Antiques Roadshow and perhaps ever seen. I absolutely love it and I’m more than a little jealous.”
It was made in 1728 and was worth at least £12,000, prompting a shocked ‘wow’ from those who brought in the teapot.
Despite the damage, expert Richard said: ‘Assuming you can get these pieces in good condition with that strap, I see it retailing for between £18 and £20,000. And the belt alone is worth £3,000.’
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Fans were shocked by the rating, with one penning on Twitter: ‘Only the Omega metal strap > £3,000, flippity jibbins’
It comes after a guest was amazed at the value of her beloved diamond brooch she brought to the BBC show last week.
Expert Susan Rumfitt was delighted to take a look at the “unusual” and “stunning” diamond brooch, which the expert revealed was from the Art Deco period of the 1930s.
She said, ‘This is a beautiful brooch. I hope you wear it every day,” to which the owner confirmed she wore it at night when she was “going out.”
Explaining how she first came across the item, the guest explained, “It’s just because of my grandmother’s family,”
Susan went on to explain, “The brooch dates back to the 1930s, the height of the Art Deco period, which was really about having a blast in fashion jewelry and partying.
“So I imagine your grandmother would have a lot of fun putting on this brooch. It kind of has a sense of theater, doesn’t it? It sort of plays itself out, with those beautiful diamonds in it and everything.’
Susan added: ‘When we get to the 1930s, the style of jewelry, it was very similar to the 1920s in terms of being bold and impressive, as we see here, but we’ve moved away from color and are also focusing on diamonds. and that is also very special when you consider that in 1929 we had the Wall Street Crash and the Depression.
“Well, one of the biggest designers behind the love of diamonds was, of course, Chanel, and she teamed up with DeBeers to promote the diamond industry.
And they actually said that diamonds are portable, you can show the greatest value in the smallest volumes. This is by no means a small piece of jewelry, but it’s wearable, so it’s no wonder so many people turn to diamond jewelry when Chanel’s Likes said it’s the thing to do.
“It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it? It makes a statement in white gold (and) there is a yellow gold behind it. That white gold at the top again helps to really represent those diamonds. It’s absolutely amazing.’
Shocked: An Antiques Roadshow guest was amazed at the value of her beloved diamond brooch she brought to the show at Brodie Castle in Morayshire
Stunning: Expert Susan Rumfitt was delighted to take a look at the ‘unusual’ and ‘stunning’ diamond brooch, which the expert revealed was from the Art Deco period of the 1930s
Susan then asked, “Have you ever thought about how many carats are in the weight of the diamonds?”
The guest guessed three before the expert revealed that the weight was 14 carats and its value was £20,000.
She joked, “Oh my god. That’s breathtaking. O crumbs, tears come to my eyes.’
“A very big surprise, I’m still shaking at the moment,” she later added before the expert commented, “It was amazing. Great to find it and also to make someone’s day when they have no idea it would be worth as much as it was – just beautiful, fantastic.’