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Watch | Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 3

Watch | Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 3

Watch | Portland, Hour 2

Watch | Portland, Hour 2

Watch | Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 2

Watch | Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 2

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Close Up | Poet Rainer Maria Rilke's Quote

Close Up | Poet Rainer Maria Rilke's Quote

Owner Interview | Korean Yayoi Stone Dagger, ca. 750 BC

Owner Interview | Korean Yayoi Stone Dagger, ca. 750 BC

Appraisal Collection | All Our Appraisals from Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 3

Appraisal Collection | All Our Appraisals from Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 3

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Patek Philippe Automatic Watch, ca. 1960

Value (2013) | $18,000 Retail – $20,000 Retail
Watch  

GUEST:
This watch was an uncle's. My husband and I inherited it from him. And he was an exciting man who led a good career. He was a contractor in California. He traveled extensively. And he only had daughters, so he passed it on to us. We tried to get it cleaned a couple of times, and jewelers didn't want to touch it because of its value. So finally someone sent it back to Switzerland to clean it.

APPRAISER:
The brand is Patek Philippe.

GUEST:
Yes.

APPRAISER:
So Patek Philippe is the preeminent watchmaker in Switzerland.

GUEST:
Uh-huh.

APPRAISER:
All their watches are completely handmade. This watch is a model 2551.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
The model of this watch came out originally in 1954. The serial number of this watch will date this particular one to around 1960.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
What's interesting about the watch is it's an automatic watch, which means that if you wear it every day, it will continue to work.

GUEST:
Right.

APPRAISER:
There's an oscillating wheel in there, and it also has a screw-down back. Now, the screw-down back was a fairly innovative thing for Patek Philippe because it made the watch water-resistant.

GUEST:
Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER:
Most watches during the late '50s and early '60s, if it got wet, it was going to go through and you'd end up ruining the watch. So this particular one is water-resistant.

GUEST:
I didn't know that, that's good.

APPRAISER:
So I'm going to turn it over, and I'm going to show you the movement. The rotor is fully guilloched, which means it's completely engraved. It's magnificent. And the rotor is made of 18-karat gold.

GUEST:
Wow.

APPRAISER:
The movement has the Geneva seal stamp, and there's 30 jewels to it.

GUEST:
Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER:
So what makes the watch work is that little rotor continues to spin, and that's what will power the watch. So if you're wearing it every day, the watch will continue to work day after day after day. There's a couple other things about the watch. On the bezel of the watch, it steps down. So it's not just one gold piece. It's a gold piece, and then it kind of flutes down. The lugs, which are the part that holds the hands, they also flute down, so it's got... It's got step-down lugs and a step-down case.

GUEST:
All right.

APPRAISER:
It also has a second hand at 6:00.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
So they were features that cost more money to produce when that model was produced. So from a value standpoint...

GUEST:
What is it?

APPRAISER:
Do you have any idea?

GUEST:
No, I really don't.

APPRAISER:
Okay. It probably today, in a retail setting, has a value of $18,000 to $20,000.

GUEST:
Great, that's wonderful. It's a sentimental piece.

APPRAISER:
A little more than you were thinking?

GUEST:
Yes, oh, yes.

APPRAISER:
Is your husband wearing it?

GUEST:
He hasn't lately, but I don't know if he will wear it or not.

APPRAISER:
He should be wearing it every time you go out to dinner.

GUEST:
I'll wear it.

APPRAISER:
Okay, great. (laughing)

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Paul Winicki
Jewelry, Silver, Watches
Radcliffe Jewelers
Towson, MD
Appraised value (2013)
$18,000 Retail – $20,000 Retail
Featured In
Baton Rouge, Hour 3 (#1809)
Event
Baton Rouge, LA (July 27, 2013)
Category
Watches
Period
1960s
Form
Watch , Wrist Watch
Material
Gold

Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.

Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."

Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.

Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.

Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.

Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.

Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.

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