Watches

1950 Rolex Submariner with Box

Appraisal: 1950 Rolex Submariner with Box

Transcript

GUEST: I brought you my father's Rolex watch. It was something that we found in his estate sale. And I gave it to my husband and said, "Oh, you keep this safe." So we put it away.

APPRAISER: What did your dad do?

GUEST: He was a pipe fitter, but for pleasure he was also a diver.

APPRAISER: So that's how he got a diver's watch, I guess, then. As you know, it's a Rolex stainless steel watch. It's called a Submariner, the model. And this particular one was made in 1950.

GUEST: Oh.

APPRAISER: The dial is all original. We know the band has been replaced on it. But it has a special dial. It says meters first before the feet. They generally did this for the European market. In the American market they would put the feet first. It also has a special feature on it. The guards that protect the crown are pointed. So it's an earlier version of the Submariner, and it's a quite collectible model. I see you have the original box that has part of the paperwork still there on it. Did you have any idea of the value of the piece?

GUEST: I know that Rolexes are a fairly expensive watch.

APPRAISER: Yeah.

GUEST: So I was guessing about $500, maybe $1,000.

APPRAISER: Right, right. I would tell you that this watch in the market today, $12,000 to $15,000.

GUEST: No way!

APPRAISER: Oh, yes way.

(laughing)

GUEST: That is so not what I was thinking. Wow.