Viewers say man 'got mugged' as he learns value of 50-year-old Rolex on Antiques Roadshow

There's nothing really quite like Antiques Roadshow and the odd thrill of finding out if someone's piece of junk is actually worth something.

The BBC show has been running since 1979 and has barely faltered in popularity, but why would it?

People finding and bringing old items to be valued by experts, with no idea about how significant they could be, while some believe they've hit gold only to find that their item is worth a lot less than expected.

In a 2022 episode of Antiques Roadshow, a man brought his classic Rolex to the Woodhorn Museum, where horological expert Richard Price advised him on the worth of his watch.

Price, who now has his own horological business, exhibits at major antiques fairs and has been working with the Roadshow crew since 1983.

The Rolex came with all its original papers (BBC)

Observing the Rolex Oyster GMT Master in front of him, it was revealed that it was bought from a retailer in Hong Kong back in 1971 as a gift for the guest's father.

Price explained that in the 20th century, Pan American Airways, then a luxury airliner, were one of the first to do long-haul international flights.

He said that pilots would work on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) as a reference point, and that the airline worked with Rolex to create a line of watches that had another hand, which would be set at GMT at all times.

Noting that the watch came with all the paperwork, that being the watch's reference number, model, serial number, purchase date, and transaction details, Price was impressed.

However, while pointing out that the bezel was original on the timepiece, he added that the bracelet was not original, which would have increased the watch's worth by a fair amount.

Back in 1971, it cost the buyer 1040HKD, which was under £200 at the time.

He explained that with the original bracelet, it would have been worth £20,000, but as it has a replacement, it would be less.

Price revealed that today, 'in this condition', the classic Rolex was worth £14,000.

In complete disbelief, the guest broke out into a big smile, laughing in disbelief, saying: "No way, I didn't expect that at all!"

The guest couldn't believe the value of his watch (BBC)

But while he was over the moon about its worth, people in the comments on the YouTube video of the segment claimed he was 'mugged' with the valuation.

One wrote: "Mate that's a 100k watch! 14k he's taking the pi**."

Another added: "That's at least 50k. The guy got mugged," while a third wrote: "To be honest I thought it was worth more?"

On certified luxury jeweller sites like Goldsmiths, you can find original versions of this watch in pristine condition for around £35,000.

At the end of the day though, the man's £14,000 richer, so can you really complain?