Antiques Roadshow

GUEST: This is a wristwatch that was given to my grandfather, George S. Patton Jr., by my grandmother, his wife, Beatrice Ayer Patton, after World War I.

It was given to me by her in 1952.

It's been in a shoebox in the top of a closet almost forgotten about.

APPRAISER: It's definitely from the World War I period.

It's a trench watch.

This one here is made by Waltham.

That's an American watch company out of Waltham, Massachusetts.

Started in the 1850s.

I've seen hundreds upon hundreds of World War I military trench watches.

I don't remember seeing...

GUEST: (soft chuckle) APPRAISER: ...another solid gold one, ever.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: You can see this little guard...

GUEST: Yes.

APPRAISER: ...over here, that protected the crown.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: So, in action, the crown wouldn't break off.

You are missing the crystal, the glass.

GUEST: Yes.

APPRAISER: Not a big deal.

Uh, the dial is original, and you can see all the radium there, that's all faded.

Let's take a look at the back of the watch.

There's a hand-engraved presentation that was from your grandmother, and it reads, "Lieutenant colonel George S. Patton Jr.

Tank Corps," and below that is the word "mizpah," which is a Hebrew word that has several meanings.

I think the meaning here was that God is watching over you while we're apart.

One of a kind, I would think, wouldn't you?

GUEST: I would think so, too.

APPRAISER: Your grandfather, George S. Patton, American hero.

There's a name that's known all over the world.

Even though this is World War I, and not World War II, where he garnered all that fame and all that notoriety, it's still an important piece of American history, so you have all these American history buffs; you have watch people, you have military people.

Everybody's gonna hunt this watch down.

In today's auction market, this watch will bring $100,000-plus.

GUEST: Wow.

Amazing.

APPRAISER: The coverage for insurance value should be just a little higher.

Okay.

So, maybe $115,000 to $135,000 for insurance values.

GUEST: Okay.

(chuckling): Maybe I better change some of the coverage.

APPRAISER: You think you'd better up it a little bit?

GUEST: Yes.

And it doesn't even work.

APPRAISER: (laughs) No, it's broken.

GUEST: Yeah.