A couple who spent hours cleaning out their 1950s classic car have appealed for information after making a stunning discovery under one of it’s seats during their renovation work
A married couple have been left gobsmacked after unearthing an astonishing discovery in their 1954 Riley classic car, which had been gathering dust in their barn for more than two decades.
In a TikTok video brimming with excitement, Sharon Tapson shared: “First let me show you what it looked inside before and after,” showcasing the vehicle’s recent transformation. She then displayed a photo of the dusty maroon leather seats that have since been stripped out, as she added: “He found it down the side of one of those seats.” Sharon elaborated: “He didn’t find anything else – just this on its own.
‘Now we’re not sure whether it’s real or not, but it looks quite old and gold-plated. If anyone can tell us if this real that would be greatly appreciated.”
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Despite receiving a variety of reactions online, Sharon remained optimistic about the potential value of their find. The item in question? A seemingly vintage quartz Rolex watch.
Sharon continued as she pondered whether to seek a jeweller’s opinion: “It doesn’t actually say anything on the back, but there’s obviously some patina there.”
TikTok users chimed in with insights, with one enthusing: “Rolex did make quartz watches from 70s to 2001. It was called the oyster quartz!” Another buoyed Sharon’s hopes, affirming: “Yes it’s real, it is in the oyster collection, around 1970.”
A third individual explained: “They still make quartz today. The oyster range has three battery watches in it. Take it to an horologist for confirmation.” Whilst a fourth suggested: “Looks real, take it to a reputable jeweller/valuer to assess.” And a fifth TikTok user hailed: “100% real! Great find!”
Nonetheless, some remain wary about the discovery’s authenticity, including one person who remarked: “It looks like a Rolex Cellini watch from the 60s-70s but the back is wrong and it doesn’t say Geneve under Rolex on the face.”
Echoing the sentiment, another opined: “Rolex introduced it’s first Quartz Oysterwatch in 1977, this watch looks to be a clone/fake of the Rolex Geneve. If genuine they only made 25,000 Quartz watches making this quite valuable if real.”
Elsewhere though other users of the social media platform were quick to dismiss the naysayers, asserting that the timepiece in question was indeed of “military specification”. One proffered: “Government supplied them to pilots and submariners.” And a second corroborated: “Came here to say this.”
Watch specialist BeckerTime, explains about the Rolex Oysterquartz: “Rolex’s first commercially available quartz watch was the Quartz Date 5100. Introduced in 1970, this watch shared the Beta 21 movement, developed by Rolex and 20 other Swiss brands.
“For 25 years Rolex produced the Oysterquartz in Datejust models (17000 stainless steel, 17013 steel and yellow gold, 17014 steel and white gold), and Day-Date models in all gold (19018yellow gold, 19019 white gold). It has been estimated that there were less than 25,000 Oysterquartz watches ever produced.”
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