Additional Coverage:
- ‘Antiques Roadshow’ guest was in disbelief after finding out the original owner of his WWI watch (marketrealist.com)
A World War I-era watch took center stage on a recent episode of “Antiques Roadshow,” captivating the expert and stunning its owner with a surprising connection to a historical figure.
The guest, who had purchased the timepiece over two decades prior at a market in South Wales for roughly $120 (including repairs), believed he had a standard pilot’s watch. The expert quickly identified the Omega watch as a WWI pilot’s model, noting its large, easy-to-read markings designed for over-jacket wear. He initially estimated its value at around $2,671.
However, a closer examination revealed something extraordinary. A repair bill dated 1933 was made out to a “T.E.
Shaw.” This seemingly insignificant detail held the key to the watch’s true historical significance.
The expert explained that T.E. Shaw was the alias used by none other than Thomas Edward Lawrence, famously known as Lawrence of Arabia.
After the war, Lawrence joined the Royal Air Force under the assumed name, retaining his original initials.
The guest, astonished by the revelation, admitted he’d believed Lawrence of Arabia to be a fictional character. The expert, equally surprised, struggled to put a precise value on the watch, suggesting its worth could be double or even five times the initial appraisal, potentially reaching $13,357. The stunned guest could only respond, “I’d better get it insured then.”