Antiques Roadshow guest’s ‘dangerous’ WWI family | UK News

An Antiques Roadshow visitor was bowled over after they found the true worth of their “dangerous” World War I family heirloom. The BBC antiques weekend show is liked up and down the nation and shortly turned a mainstay following its debut in 1979. The beloved show later spawned an American spin off for followers across the pond.

During a journey to Vintage Madison in the center of Wisconsin in 2009, one loyal viewer introduced along his grandfather’s 1915 Ingersoll navy wrist watch & box which had a lethal secret. The visitor informed the navy knowledgeable: “It was originally my grandfather’s.

“He got it during World War I, and being of first-generation German descent, they wouldn’t give him any firearms, so he bought this as a memento piece since he couldn’t keep a firearm or anything. It’s my understanding that he bought it at the PX of Fort Dixon in Iowa and I believe it was in 1915, but he never talked about it.

“He put all his stuff in a box and it pretty much stayed there until the grandkids started rummaging through things that we found out that this had a radium face on it and my grandmother wouldn’t let us play with it anymore. So I haven’t seen it probably 30 years.”

It was at this level that navy appraiser Charles Tearle gave viewers an insight into the historical past for the classic watch. He revealed: “This watch would have been made in 1915.

“Prior to the First World War, it was very unusual for gentlemen to wear wristwatches. They would always wear pocket watches. And the idea of a man wearing a piece of jewellery was very much frowned upon.

“It was only really when the war started that they found in the trenches and in combat that the practicalities of having a pocket watch became difficult.

“So the men actually designed a way to strap their pocket watches onto their wrists. Now, here we have a very classic example where a manufacturer has basically adapted that idea.” The British expert shared what made this historic piece unique and the dangerous element it featured that could put off prospective buyers.

He went on: “This watch is effectively a pocket watch that’s been modified to be strapped onto a piece of leather with a protective guard over the dial. Another aspect taken from the First World War was this tyoe of black enamel dial. Most enamel dials were made in white.

“The black anti-reflective display was much better for nighttime and there was far less chance of it being seen from that point of view. It’s actually advertised on the box as having radium [on it].

“The radium has now gone brown, but it was originally a very bright glow that allowed them to glow in the dark.” Charles then went on to debunk the theory that radium was harmful to the owners, explaining that the danger actually impacted the factory workers constructing the watches.

He continued: “And it really wasn’t harmful to individuals. The harmful part was to the poor people that were painting the dials, they were actually painted by hand.

“You’d have these ladies that would use a paintbrush, lick the end of it and dip it into the radium, write the numerals and then at the end of each one, lick it again and pop it back into the radium. It was very, very dangerous.

“Now this particular example remained in very good condition. If you can imagine, most military examples that were made simply were destroyed or brought back and given to the kids.”

It was at this point that the antiques appraiser revealed what the historic piece would fetch at auction, leaving the star utterly gobsmacked. Charles announced: “Its main interest is historically, the fact that it was one of the very first-ever wristwatches.

“Also, the condition and the fact that it still has the original box with it. Value-wise, if it were to sell at auction today, you’d be looking at a number around $1,000 (£741).”

After taking a minute to compose himself, before the owner chuckled: “Okay. I’m pleasantly surprised, considering that the price on the box is $4.50 (£3.33)” as the expert agreed: “There’s been some increase over the years.”

It did not take long before followers flooded to social media to share their shock at the valuation, with many admitting they’d pay even more. One person penned: “Only a grand???” as another confessed: “I might pay more for it.”

A third echoed: “I might have thought it was price more than that” as a fourth chimed in with: “Seems like a very low analysis on a watch with so a lot historical past [shrugging emoji].”