Wrist Watch & Pocket Watches
Watch
GUEST:
I found this watch in a little Tiffany suitcase. And when I asked my mother about the watch, she said that it belonged to my great-grandfather's mistress.
APPRAISER:
Oh, wow.
GUEST:
And how it got back to my grandmother, who claimed it was hers for years, we don't quite know.
APPRAISER:
This is a very interesting early, early wristwatch. It was very fashionable at the time for women to have wristwatches. It was considered not so fashionable for men to have them. So this is more like jewelry than anything else. But this is a Tiffany and Company signed piece. And I believe at one time that the designing with the Greek key motif had enamel in it, but it's now since gone. It's a very, very nice piece, about 1905. This secondary piece here, this is a very early 1860s Patek Philippe pocket watch. It has beautiful blue cobalt enamel with single-cut as well as rose-cut diamonds. And particularly the center star diamond is really, really nice. I believe this bow also to be genuine and original to the watch. The company started in the early 1850s, so this would be the first ten years of their production. This third pocket watch is a Jules Jurgensen minute repeater. It's from about the 1890s. And what's really nice about this particular one... if I may for a moment, I'll close the lid and flip it over. If you see inside here, the movement is a minute repeater, but there was a glass that was placed over the top so that the owner of the watch can watch the mechanism make the repeating motions without him getting dust or dirt into it. A minute repeater gives an audio noise to let them know through a series of bells and chimes the exact time. As far as the condition, it's quite high, except for the missing glass crystal, which is really not a problem. The condition of the case and the movement is exceptional. Do you have any idea the value of any of these three pieces?
GUEST:
None whatsoever. They've just been around forever.
APPRAISER:
Family piece, right. Okay. I estimate the value of the Tiffany early wristwatch between $3,000 and $4,000.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
The Patek Philippe cobalt enameled pendant watch, between $7,000 and $8,000.
GUEST:
Whoa.
APPRAISER:
And the Jules Jurgensen minute repeater at $12,000.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
So you have quite a nice collection of watches here from your family.
Appraisal Details
Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."
Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.
Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.
Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.
Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.
Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.
