Rolex Oyster Cosmograph & Documentation, ca. 1971
Watch
GUEST:
I brought in a Rolex watch that I had purchased while I was in the military. I was stationed in Thailand from 1973 to 1975. And while I was there, I flew on Air America Airlines and Continental Airlines, and I noticed that most of the pilots that were flying those aircraft wore Rolex watches, and I was intrigued by them. I always wanted to purchase them, but they were very expensive. Later, when I was transferred to another base, I did some scuba diving, and I knew that the Rolex watch was good for scuba diving. I found this particular watch where I could afford it, and I never used it. I looked at it and I said, "You know, this is really too nice to take down in salty water."
APPRAISER:
Yeah.
GUEST:
I just kept it. After I got out of the service, I had other watches I wore and I just put this one into a safety deposit box. It stayed there for 30 or 40 years. I only took it out, like, two or three times to look at it, and that was about the extent of it before I brought it here.
APPRAISER:
What branch of service were you in?
GUEST:
I was in the United States Air Force. I entered in 1971. My draft number was seven.
APPRAISER:
That's a pretty low number, huh? (chuckles) That's not really lucky in the, in the draft, right?
GUEST:
No. When I found out about that, I either had to join the Air Force or another branch, or I was enlisted by the first of January.
APPRAISER:
And what'd you do in the service?
GUEST:
I worked in munitions, but there's, like, four different branches, and I worked in explosive ordnance disposal.
APPRAISER:
You bought this where? Was it, was it at a military store?
GUEST:
I ordered it in November 1974 through the base exchange. I believe it came in in April 1975.
APPRAISER:
The amount that you paid, you even got a ten percent discount. It says $345.97. Was that a lot of money in 1975 to you?
GUEST:
It was a lot of money for myself.
APPRAISER:
What were salaries back then?
GUEST:
It ranged between $300 and $400 a month, if I have it correct.
APPRAISER:
As you know, it's a Rolex. This particular model is referred to as an Oyster Cosmograph. They're also referred to as Daytonas. This is a reference 6263. You saved everything, which is really wonderful. The warranty paper was never filled out and was never numbered, so you have, actually have a blank guarantee, which is quite unusual. And even over here, this paper is blank. A blank paper today is probably worth about $2,000, because it can be made to match any watch and add value to it, so guys would pay money to buy a blank paper. You have the original Rolex brochure here for the Cosmograph. You have two receipts-- the order receipt and your payment receipt here. You have the original box. Even the outer box here. So these watches, as we've talked on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW have become very collectible and valuable. It's got a couple of very special features about it. Underneath the word "Rolex" and above the word "Cosmograph," it says "Oyster," and that refers to these screw-down buttons here. They made this version with and without screw-down buttons. The ones without the screw-down buttons are still water-resistant, but this was a much better water-resistant case, because you could lock down the chronograph buttons on it. It still has the foil sticker on the back with the reference number of the watch, 6263. Had it be worn, that would be the first thing that would wear off the watch. The date mark on the bracelet shows that it was made in the first quarter of 1971. Your watch was made approximately 1971, and you ordered it a couple of years later. Collectors love this watch because Paul Newman wore it in a movie called "Winning." It wasn't this particular model, it did not have the screw-down buttons. The one that Paul Newman wore, currently at auction, those watches are going for approximately $150,000 to $200,000. Your watch is more special. It says...
GUEST:
You got to be kidding me.
APPRAISER:
It says "Oyster" on it.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
They did that for an extremely short period of time. We refer to that as a Mark II dial. And this particular model, being marked "oyster," is extremely, extremely rare. A watch like this at auction is worth about $400,000.
(people laughing in background)
APPRAISER:
You okay?
(people laughing)
GUEST:
(chuckles)
APPRAISER:
Don't fall. I'm not done yet. I said, "A watch like yours." Because of the condition of it-- basically, it's a new old stock watch: no wear on it; the original foil sticker on the back of it; and the fact that we have all this complete documentation here, also, your watch, at auction, today, $500,000 to $700,000.
GUEST:
You got to be (no audio) (laughing)
APPRAISER:
No, I'm very serious.
(chuckles and murmurs)
APPRAISER:
It's an absolute fabulous find. It's one of the rarest Paul Newman models, and in this condition, I don't think there's a better one in the world. I can't thank you enough for bringing me one of the greatest watches to ever see on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW. And thank you very much for your service.
GUEST:
Unbelievable.
APPRAISER:
You can't wear it, though.
GUEST:
(murmurs)
APPRAISER:
If you wear it, it drops down to the $400,000 value.
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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."
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