Man collapses after finding out insane value of rare Rolex he bought for under £300 in 1975

A man who took his rare Rolex onto the US version of Antiques Roadshow collapsed after receiving an astonishing valuation.

If you're ever in possession of an old trinket or treasure, that might have been passed down through generations or simply picked up at a car boot sale, then the long-running TV show is the place to go.

Experts on the programme will study your beloved belongings, with some results better than others, as one woman discovered that an artwork left to her by her grandma could sell for as much as £220,000, despite a mosquito being trapped inside the painting for years.

Finding the right time to sell your family heirlooms to take advantage of booming markets is critical, as one woman sadly found out when taking the long sought-after Charizard Pokémon card on to the show, something which Logan Paul memorably spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on.

But there was a happy ending for a Vietnam war veteran on the American adaptation of Antiques Roadshow after he took in a Rolex Daytona with a Panda Paul Newman dial, something he'd picked up for the equivalent of £258 in Thailand all the way back in 1975.

The stunning watch was in superb condition (PBS/Antiques Roadshow)

"I was intrigued by them," the guest said. "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.'"

The expert was already impressed when he first pulled out the watch but was even more excited when the guest confirmed that it had never been worn, as he'd only taken it out of the box a few times in nearly 50 years of ownership.

The expert said: "It's got a couple of very special features about 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."

He'd even brought along a blank warranty paper, which could reach $2,000 just by itself, as well as a brochure, original box and outer box and the receipt, which only added to the watch's incredible value further.

The expert went on: "The date mark on the bracelet shows that it was made in the first quarter of 1971. 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."

When he was informed that a watch 'like' his could earn a whopping $400,000 (£298,378) at auction, he was literally floored by the news, as he fell to the ground in jest.

But as he rose back up, he was probably tempted to fall over again, as the expert went on to suggest that because of its impeccable condition, including the various tidbits he'd brought along with him, his model could likely fetch anywhere between $500,000 to $700,000 at auction.

The expert concluded: "It's maybe one of the very few in the whole world that still was never worn. It's an absolute fabulous find. It's one of the rarest Paul Newman models and in this condition, I don't think there is a better one in the world. Unbelievable. You can't wear it though - if you wear it, it drops down to the $400,000 value."