War vet falls to the ground in shock when he is told his Rolex Daytona is worth $700k

Published on Apr 19, 2022 at 9:54 AM (UTC+4)
by Ben Welham

Last updated on Jul 01, 2022 at 5:11 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Kate Bain

War vet falls to the ground in shock when he is told  his Rolex Daytona is worth $700k

It’s no secret that wristwatch prices have gone a bit mad recently, and the Rolex Daytona is the hottest piece going.

So when we saw this appraisal it warmed our hearts.

An ex-Air Force veteran rocked up to an auction on Antiques Roadshow and found out the $345 he paid for his Rolex Daytona back in the 1970s is nothing compared to its current value.

The watch in question was purchased through a military base exchange in 1974 and received in 1975.

READ MORE: Custom Rolex was sent to a remote island to rust out on purpose

Despite its age, it has never been worn, because the owner felt it was too nice to beat up.

So he just kept it tucked away in a box hoping it would be worth something someday.

After a thorough inspection, Peter Planes of Luxe Auctioneers in Palm Beach, Florida, said: “A watch like this, at auction, is worth about $400,000.”

At this point, the veteran fell to the ground in absolute glee, but he had no idea what news was coming.

Once up, Planes explained to him that, because it was unworn, his Rolex was worth more in the $500,000 to $700,000 range.

READ MORE: This ‘invisible’ watch is so fragile you can’t even wear it

His response was simply perfect and he simply said “You gotta be (expletive) me.”

This very Daytona comes with all the correct paperwork, boxes and packaging.

It is reference 6263 and is hailed by collectors as being one of the most sought after in the world.

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Ben Welham

Ben is a freelance motoring journalist who studied Journalism and previously produced daily content at DriveTribe. He has a worrying obsession with Tudor watches, and his dream car is the Porsche GT3 Touring.