A Man Passed Out On Antiques Roadshow After His Possession Was Valued
When Air Force veteran David appeared on the traveling TV series Antiques Roadshow brandishing his old watch, he had no idea that the heirloom would be worth such a staggering sum. In fact, when he found out its true value, he appeared to drop to the ground in a dead faint. But just how much was David’s old Rolex worth – and how had he been unaware of its incredible story for almost 50 years?
A hard life
David had not enjoyed the kind of life that allowed him to indulge his love of Rolexes in the lap of luxury – far from it. He was drafted during the Vietnam War. At the time, all young men aged 18 to 25 were assigned a number for each draft lottery. And when a number was pulled, anyone with that digit or less – and who was eligible to be part of the military – was called up to serve.
Vietnam veteran
When David’s number was pulled, then, he was told he’d have to join a branch of the military. Otherwise, he’d be enlisted automatically by the following January. And so the veteran consequently decided to join the U.S. Air Force, where he began serving in munitions. More specifically, he was dealing with explosive ordnance disposal.
Incredible danger
For David, this primarily involved clearing roadways of landmines as well as cleaning up impaired munitions storage facilities. “There were multiple children and adults that were injured as a result of unexploded ordnance,” the veteran said during an episode of Antiques Roadshow in January 2020. “The hazard is still there today.”
Stint in Thailand
From 1973 David spent two years stationed in Thailand. And during that stint, he flew on a number of continental airlines. It was on these flights that he first developed a fondness for Rolex. You see, he noticed that pilots would frequently wear the brand’s watches – and subsequently found himself intrigued by the timepieces.
