Daytona Model Rolex Watch with Box & Papers, ca. 1970
Watch
GUEST:
Today, I brought a Rolex watch that I purchased in 1973. And I purchased the watch because I was flying. I was a private pilot. I've been a private pilot since I was 20 years old. And what I was doing, I was finding sites for a national restaurant chain in South Dakota and Nebraska. I bought the watch hoping it would help with navigation, basically, because you can check a measured mile by the number of seconds it takes to go across the measured miles, and it gives you your ground speed, so it helps you with your navigation, so to speak.
APPRAISER:
What you brought here today is a Rolex Daytona, and it's a triple register chronograph. Three register. Here's the buttons for functioning. And this particular one is in a solid gold case with the black enamel bezel. And these watches were mainly used by people such as yourself: pilots, racecar drivers, anything to do with timing, functioning, such as you did with the land survey. This particular model of Rolex Daytona is the reference number 6263. This is also known as the Paul Newman Daytona, because actor Paul Newman was well known to have worn his from the late '60s into the 1970s. And he was a racecar driver and a racecar enthusiast. This model Rolex was well appreciated, and the design of it was inspired by racecar drivers in particular. So this model was manufactured in the late '60s to the early 1970s. Now, what's great about this is that you have the original box, the original outer box, and even you kept your original receipt from the watch.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
And this is all from over 40 years ago. And the condition of the watch is wonderful. It doesn't look like you wore it much at all.
GUEST:
That's correct, I haven't.
APPRAISER:
Why did you stop wearing it?
GUEST:
I just felt it was too nice a watch to wear every single day. I thought I could find another watch to wear during the week. But even today, I might wear it once a month.
APPRAISER:
So you still get some enjoyment, some use out of it once in awhile.
GUEST:
Yeah, I do, yes.
APPRAISER:
Okay, great. So over 40 years ago, you bought this watch brand new.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
You paid $543 for this watch.
GUEST:
Yes, sir.
APPRAISER:
Well, it's probably gone up a little bit. Do you have any idea what it might be worth today?
GUEST:
Oh, I have no idea what it would...I know Rolex are expensive watches.
APPRAISER:
Right. Being that this is a one-owner watch, your watch, you bought it new, and you kept the original boxes, I think that's going to add some value to it. So in today's market, retail, this watch is going to easily bring $100,000.
GUEST:
Oh my gosh. I had no idea that it would be that much. Is that s...? I'm in disbelief.
APPRAISER:
What I'm telling you is the truth. It is absolutely correct.
GUEST:
Oh my gosh.
Appraisal Details
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