Antiques Roadshow

GUEST: It was my boyfriend's when I was in high school.

He got arrested and had to go to jail.

APPRAISER: Uh-oh.

GUEST: So he brought a couple things to my house for me to keep for him.

The watch, a hunting rifle, and a jacket.

APPRAISER: Okay.

GUEST: So after he got out of jail, he came back to my house-- well, my parents' house-- to get his stuff, and I wasn't home.

So my mom let him into my bedroom to get his stuff, but he forgot about the watch.

So this last winter, when I was cleaning out some stuff, I found it in the back of my actual sock drawer-- yes, I know.

APPRAISER: Mm-hmm.

GUEST: Uh, 50 years.

It's been there at least 50 years.

Over 50 years.

APPRAISER: It's a reference 1016 Rolex Explorer.

These were sold to anybody more into sports.

So the bracelet on here is not original.

It's very similar to what originally would be on there, which was called the Jubilee link bracelet.

But when we look at old advertising, we see that many of these were sold on a leather strap.

You can buy the watch either way.

The more popular at that time was the strap.

So, originally, the dial wasn't this color.

This is a very, very strange-looking color.

Light brown, a chocolate brown, to a dark brown, going to the original black over here on the end.

This one has faded.

What we call that now in watch collecting, it's called tropical.

The radium that's in the hands, the radium that's in the number to give it the glow-in-the-dark effect...

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: ...sometimes it gives off that radiation, it burns it.

Perhaps somebody wore this a lot, and it was in the sun.

20 years ago, in watch collecting, a dial like that was considered, "That's no good."

So, if this went into service to your watchmaker, to the jewelry store, they might take that dial off and toss it out, and get you a replacement dial from the factory.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: Now that's coveted.

That's a prize that's desired by collectors who want that look.

This is the most extreme of tropical dials I think I've ever seen.

GUEST: Whoa.

APPRAISER: It's in working condition.

This watch right now, retail, it'll bring $10,000.

GUEST: (inhales): W...

Seriously?

All right.

A redeeming factor for him.

(laughs) APPRAISER: What do you think of that?

GUEST: I think it's awesome.