Steven had just been digging up his garden when he stumbled upon an ancient wristwatch buried deep in the earth. Was there an old Rolex hidden beneath the thick layer of dried mud and dirt?

Steven hesitated. Should he toss the decaying, dirt-encrusted piece into the trash and forget about it? Or had he possibly struck gold and found a real treasure?

Speechless

The jeweler had been silently examining the watch for a few minutes now. Steven could barely contain his nerves and excitement. He wished the jeweler would name a price – a number that would tell him whether he had wasted his time or struck it rich. Steven yearned to have some luck for once in his life!

However, as he noticed the jeweler’s expression, hope quickly faded away. The jeweler tried to stammer a response to Steven but couldn’t find the right words to begin. Steven thought the jeweler probably couldn’t bring himself to say that the watch was worthless.

Extraordinary Discovery

On this afternoon, Steven never expected to find anything as he dug up his garden. He anticipated pulling out stones and old roots from the soil, but not an ancient clock.

The watch was a pure stroke of luck. Covered in thick dirt, it didn’t look like a treasure at all; rather, it resembled a piece of trash or scrap. At first, Steven didn’t think much of it and simply set it aside.

Only after Steven finished digging up the garden did the watch come back to his mind. He was certain it wasn’t his own, as he had never lost a watch before. Moreover, he and his wife had only been living here for a few years, and the watch looked as if it had been buried here for many years.

At first, the thought of discarding it crossed Steven’s mind, but curiosity eventually overwhelmed him. He decided to take a closer look at the watch. However, there wasn’t much to see. The timepiece was completely covered in a tough layer of mud and grime.

Restoration

Steven’s initial instinct was to rinse it under the faucet, hoping to uncover a mark or some other identifiable feature. But when he shared this idea with his wife, she immediately talked him out of it. She had never heard anything so foolish.

Yet, Steven felt this watch was something special. He couldn’t explain it, but he sensed it had a story to tell. A story he wanted to discover. Though he might not have had the money for professional cleaning right away, he knew he had to find a way.

Because if he tossed the watch away, he would never find out. And if luck was on his side, this watch could change his life. But he could also lose everything. It was a tough decision, but Steven knew he had to give it a shot. He would have the watch cleaned and see what happens.

Taking the Leap

It was a risk, but Steven was ready to take it. He wanted to find out if the watch truly held any value and uncover its history. It was time to take the next step.

Steven and his wife discussed the matter and agreed that the risk was acceptable. They believed the watch could potentially serve as an added bonus for their retirement, and ideally, they could even gift a portion of the money to their beloved grandchildren.

Steven confirmed the appointment for the watch cleaning over the phone, hoping it would look good as new within two days. When he showed the timepiece to the watch cleaner, the expert seemed genuinely surprised. The watch was in terrible condition, and the cleaner had rarely seen one in such a deplorable state. Nevertheless, he held on to hope that something could still be salvaged despite all the grime.

To everyone’s relief, it turned out that the watch was still in reasonably decent shape, although the dirt proved challenging to remove. However, not all parts of the watch were intact.

Mystery

“Is the watch from a brand?” Steven wondered. The glass cover and some of the delicate inner mechanisms were broken, but fortunately, they could be replaced relatively inexpensively. However, there was also some bad news.

Steven had hoped that the watchmaker could estimate the value of the watch based on its brand or model. He secretly wished it might be a Rolex or something similar, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

The cleaner couldn’t find any brand markings on the watch and had never seen such a timepiece before. He even searched the internet but found nothing. Steven was quite disappointed by the cleaner’s findings, but suddenly, disappointment turned into excitement.

The Mysterious Timepiece

The cleaning process was finally complete, and the watch was no longer just a random discovery in the garden. After the costly cleaning, it had transformed into a real investment. But would this investment pay off? Steven had a good feeling about it.

Usually, a watch’s value was determined by its brand. But could an old watch, unheard of by anyone, still be valuable? Had Steven made a big mistake by having it cleaned?

Heading to the Jeweler

Fearful that his wife might be disappointed, Steven decided to take the watch to the jeweler he had contacted over the phone. He was certain this jeweler was an expert in the field.

The chances of the specialist recognizing the watch were much higher than with the cleaner. Perhaps Steven could make a profit with this unusual timepiece. So far, he had already spent a whopping 250 euros just on the cleaning.

When Steven finally reached the shop, he was surprised to find it deserted. He was puzzled about the time and quickly took out his phone. While unlocking it, he noticed a missed call from his wife. Was she just checking in on the current situation, or did she know more?

Steven was torn. Should he call his wife back or inform her later? He stepped into the store and headed towards the back.

A Picture on the Wall

As he wandered through the store, a picture on the wall caught Steven’s eye. It was framed and in black and white. Steven tried to identify the person in the picture when suddenly he noticed a similar watch on the person’s wrist.

Steven was utterly shaken. How could no one identify the watch in the picture when it was clearly visible here? It had to be a well-known brand.

Steven decided to take a photo of the framed picture as evidence. Besides, he could show it to his wife, who had fallen sick with worry by now. Steven decided to rush home. What had he gotten himself into?

Doing his own research this time

Before sharing his discovery with anyone, even his wife, Steven decides to do some online research. For hours, he searches without success, unsure where to begin. He considers giving up when suddenly the phone rings.

It’s the jeweler calling Steven. Panic sets in as Steven wonders how the jeweler got his number. After taking a deep breath, he answers the call.

The jeweler asks Steven if he has been to his store. Steven hesitates, wondering if he did something wrong or even damaged something. Why is the jeweler calling him?

Unexpected Call

Steven is worried that the jeweler knows about his visit. The jeweler asks many questions, wanting to know why Steven was there, what he saw, and finally, why he took a photo of the framed picture.

Feeling overwhelmed by all the questions, Steven tries to brush off the jeweler. Why didn’t he just talk about it in the store?

Although Steven tries to piece things together, it doesn’t seem to click. He wants to figure out what’s behind this strange game involving his watch, especially to explain it to his wife. So, he decides to take a walk.

What to do?

Should he leave the watch somewhere and claim he never had it to escape this mystery? Or should he keep it, hoping for a reward if he finds the peculiar timepiece again?

Lost in thought, Steven strolls along the sidewalk, pondering the watch. He considers whom else he could ask for information to learn more about the timepiece.

Suddenly, Steven hears his name called by a familiar voice and turns around. The jeweler is standing on the sidewalk, politely asking for a conversation. That’s not exactly what Steven had hoped for.

New Insights

The jeweler assured Steven that he had some interesting information about his watch and invited him to visit his shop around the corner. He reminded Steven that he had already been there yesterday, and they had missed each other by just a few minutes as he had gone to grab a coffee. Steven finally agreed, hoping to get some new insights.

When Steven handed over the watch to the jeweler for examination, the expert immediately began scrutinizing it. He compared it with the watch in the framed photo that Steven had found in his garden.

After a few minutes of concentration and silence, the jeweler looked at Steven and said, “Considering the value of this watch, I’d like to offer you to keep it in my safe for the time being.”

Worries about the valuable watch

As Steven thought about his wife, he immediately realized that she would be worried about the valuable watch at home. Even if no one knew about its existence, his wife would fear it could become a target for theft and lose her peace of mind at night.

Steven decided to follow the jeweler’s advice, trusting that he would likely sell the watch as well. However, he requested a receipt as proof.

With the receipt safely in his pocket, Steven hurried home and immediately sought out his wife. He sat down with her and recounted his conversation with the jeweler. Though his wife wanted to know the watch’s value most of all, Steven still couldn’t answer that question. However, he remained confident that everything about the watch would soon become clear.

Truly Something Special

When Steven’s wife heard about everything, she became even more convinced of the watch’s value. “Darling, doesn’t the jeweler’s behavior indicate that the watch is truly something special?” she asked cheerfully and confidently. Steven couldn’t disagree, but he was unsure about what to do next. He hoped the jeweler would have more information by the next day.

Determined to keep a distance from the watch for now but also ensuring he didn’t forget what belonged to him, Steven decided to call the jeweler. He and his wife created a list of demands to prepare for the call. However, when he heard who was on the other end of the line, he was surprised.

Surprising Twist

It was evident that the caller was not the jeweler he had been dealing with. “Who are you?” asked Steven, taken aback. At first, there was no response, but after repeating his question, Steven finally got an answer.

It turned out that the man on the phone was a member of a police SWAT team, currently conducting a raid on the jeweler’s shop! Steven was in shock.

He was completely bewildered and had no energy to demand an explanation. The SWAT officer had something more to say. He tersely explained that Steven had to prove he had unearthed the watch in his garden. Steven looked at the freshly planted salad bed and started to regret the watch.

His Garden

Steven now realized he was too deeply entangled to find a way out. Besides, he knew it wouldn’t be difficult to prove his ownership of the watch. After all, he had nothing to hide.

He invited the SWAT team to his garden, where they could clearly see the traces of his digging. However, what Steven didn’t expect was that the officers would approach him immediately.

Just a few minutes later, several cars parked in front of Steven’s house. Without hesitation, the SWAT team stormed into the garden, completely ignoring Steven and his wife, who had come home by then.

SWAT Team in the Garden

The officers carefully took mud samples from various spots in the garden, making sure no one else entered the area. Even Steven had to watch the officers’ activities from the kitchen window.

Steven observed attentively the steps the SWAT team took, while his garden looked like a CSI scene with fluttering police tape in the wind. Shortly after the SWAT team arrived, he noticed someone bringing a watch in a special container, ensuring it wouldn’t be damaged. The stern faces of the officers made it clear that Steven’s future was at stake.

Serious Questions

In the meantime, two officers took Steven and his wife aside and questioned them extensively. Most of the questions revolved around their house and garden. They were asked how long they had been living in this house and what changes they had made to their garden over the years. Steven couldn’t understand what all of this had to do with the watch.

As he took another look at his garden, he noticed even more visitors wandering around. In addition to the men in white hazmat suits, there were now some men in suits as well.

In front of the property, reporters and journalists gathered, held back by police tape, taking photos and videos of the SWAT teams and historians in the garden.

Finally, Steven saw someone with a familiar face – the jeweler. It took a while for the police to let him through, and he could enter the house. The jeweler was accompanied by a representative from the state museum.

The Origin of the Watch

The truth about the watch was finally revealed: It had once belonged to a dictator who passed away in this area many years ago. They even disclosed that the dictator was wearing the watch at the time of his death.

Steven and his wife were delighted to hear that, after all the expenses, excitement, and hassle, they would still profit a little from their discovery. However, they didn’t know the exact value of the watch yet.

The museum representative happily revealed the price the museum was willing to pay – a whopping 35,000 Dollars. Steven and his wife embraced each other with radiant smiles, already planning a small vacation trip.

Source: trendcatchers | Image: pixabay