When Roger Cooper was a young man in the British Merchant Navy, he bought a Speedmaster for ₤45 in Hong Kong. That remained in 1968 and he wore the watch sailing for the next 15 years. The Speedmaster was water resistant approximately 200 feet, so why not? If Cooper knew the future value of his watch, I make certain he wouldn’t have actually taken it anywhere near the water, however naturally, the Speedmaster wasn’t a financial investment strategy or a rare collectible by any ways. It was just a watch to Cooper, and it needed to inform the correct time despite what he was doing. It was special because he spent a whole month’s income on it and bought it in Hong Kong, which, in 1968, was still held by the British. In 1983 he switched to a Casio and tucked the Speedy away.

This wasn’t any old Speedmaster, though. Unconsciously, Cooper had purchased the Speedmaster “Ultraman”– you understand, the one the Speedy Tuesday folks drew inspiration from when designing this watch The distinguishing design point is the inclusion of an orange chronograph hand, visually similar to the one found on the Speedmaster MK II. It made the Ultraman label from its TV screen debut on the popular TELEVISION program The Return Of Ultraman, in1971

Now, in 2019, the Ultraman is once again a TELEVISION star, however this time it appeared on the popular BBC program Antiques Roadshow Cooper brought the watch in for appraisal on air, and specialist Richard Price surprised him when he pegged the value of the watch at ₤30,000-40,000 Of course, it wouldn’t be Antiques Roadshow without a cumulative gasp from the crowd. Naturally, Cooper was floored. And to believe he was wearing this thing cruising around on rowboats serving in the British Merchant Navy!

A Speedy deep-cut appeals to the watch geek in all people, however the larger theme of having something so important and not knowing about it is what sent this story out of the watch world and helped it make headlines in the British tabloid world. A formerly modest wristwatch making an affable 71- year-old grandfather’s day is precisely the type of heartwarming story suitable for mass intake.

Cooper wound up offering the expect ₤31,000 at Gardiner Houlgate auction house. The basic origin of the “Ultraman” is cloudy, but the story goes that there are roughly 50 examples floating around. Not all have actually appeared thus far.

It may be time to give your grandfather a call.