A LEVER detail in a watch sent its value skyrocketing to $10,000, leaving its lucky owner stunned.
The watch has been handed down the generations but miraculously kept in “unused condition” despite being made as far back as 1871.
The lucky owner meets with an appraiser, who inspects the timepiece[/caption]
The pair examine a little lever, key to its value[/caption]
Featuring on an Antiques Roadshow appraisal clip, the watch’s owner explained it originated from an ancestor named William Cooper, who was given the timepiece in 1876.
The unnamed man explained that Cooper was a “supreme commander” of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry – the world’s most widely practised Masonic rite, which is a centuries-old fraternity.
He continued: “It eventually passed down to my great-great uncle … and he eventually willed it to my father
“It’s been sitting in a safe for a long time but every once in a while we pull it out to enjoy it.”
Radcliffe Jewelers appraiser Paul Winicki took note of the watch’s lever, calling it “an amazing piece of Americana”.
Winicki said: “It’s a lever set, which means to set the time, there’s a little lever on the dial.
“And when that level pulls out, you then adjust the time on the crown and you push the lever back in.
Winicki explained it would appeals to a variety of buyers, including watch, freemasonry and African-American collectors.
The watch, made of 18-karat gold, has an “amazing engraving” featuring the crest of the 33rd degree of Freemasonry, boosting its value further.
Paul said: “A watch from the mid-19th century presented to a 33rd-degree African American Freemason is a very, very rare find.
“It also comes with a beautiful gold chain, a gold fob and a retractable gold pencil from the 19th century.
“It would easily sell in the $6,000 to $7000 price range at auction.
“Although, since it’s obviously it’s been in your family for many generations, you would want to have an insurance appraisal at least in the $10,000 price range.
“This is just an unbelievably gorgeous watch, with an unbelievably gorgeous provenance.”
The Antiques Roadshow guest raised his eyebrows in disbelief when he learned of the timepiece’s value.
He said: “That’s fantastic.”
The same watch would likely be worth more today.
The clip is from 2009 but was last week republished on the Antiques Roadshow YouTube channel, which noted it would be valued up to $12,000 in 2024.
Antiques Roadshow best finds
Antiques Roadshow has helped people put a price on their treasures since 1979. Here are some of the most interesting finds
- A hand-me-down ring that had been in the family for generations was valued at $595,000
- A silver coin found on a farm is worth $30,000
- A Rolex that cost just $120 is now worth $45,000
- The portrait of a woman’s mother at four years old and its frame was worth $32,000
- A book of hymns that was kept in a basement was worth $50,000
- A rare sculpture bought at a flea market in 1961 was worth $100,000
- An antique floor lamp from an estate sale was worth $15,000
- A mobile from the 1940s was worth a whopping $2 million
- A tablecloth drawn on by a baseball legend was worth $1,500
- A Picasso plate that hung above an oven was worth $15,000
Also on Antiques Roadshow, a man brought a family heirloom in and was stunned to learn its true value.
He explained that the large wooden bowl, passed down through generations, had been in his family for over 80 years.
While experts debated its origins, there was a consensus that it was Native American-made.
The bowl might have fetched around $15,000 at an auction a decade ago, but the market had shifted significantly, and the current estimated value was between $40,000 and $60,000.
In another case of Antiques Roadshow fortune, a collector discovered the glass bird she bought at an auction was worth several thousand dollars.
She spent only $40 for the item a year prior in a last-minute bid and unknowingly made quite a profit.
Many would pay a considerable amount of money for the Pianon piece – between $7,000 and $9,000, it was found.
Revelations that it was designed in Venice, Italy, by a well-known architect proved a significant value booster.
The watch in action in its earliest days[/caption]
A full view of the ‘amazing piece of Americana’[/caption]
The lucky owner looked stunned when learning of its value[/caption]
