Air Force vet collapses in disbelief after learning how much his $345 Rolex is worth now
Published on Oct 17, 2025 at 2:09 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Oct 17, 2025 at 7:37 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
This US Air Force veteran couldn’t believe his ears when he found out how much the Rolex Daytona was worth today.
He only paid $345 when he bought it, but this watch is worth a lot more than that now.
By pure coincidence, he bought the right watch at the right time, and he did exactly what you’re supposed to do to make its value to go up.
Now, he’s discovered it’s worth more than a house.
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His Rolex is now worth a fortune
The US Air Force veteran appeared on Antiques Roadshow when he was told that the $345 he paid for his Rolex Daytona Cosmograph back in the 1970s had soared in value.
The veteran in question bought the watch in 1974, with a 10 percent military discount, for $345, which equated to nearly a month’s salary for him back then.
It was a lot of money, but it was an investment that paid off.
After a thorough inspection, the auctioneer told him a watch like this can be worth up to $700,000 in this condition, at which point the veteran (almost) collapsed.
“You gotta be [expletive] me,” he exclaimed.
The watch market is cooling off
The watch market has slightly cooled off after the pandemic-fueled frenzy.
Between 2020 and 2022, people obviously couldn’t spend their money on dining out, travel or anything that required moving around too much.
As a result, wealthy individuals started buying ‘stuff’, as in physical things they could somewhat still enjoy even if they couldn’t leave their homes or their towns.
Art, watches, cars – you name it.
When we look at historical data, the value of most collector’s watches peaked around that time.
Having said that, some watches are still worth a fortune.
The Rolex Daytona (Supercar Blondie’s Alex Hirschi also has one) is definitely part of this elite club.
It’s basically impossible to find one worth less than six figures, and definitely possible to find one that’s worth over seven figures.
