There was a news story on AOL.com earlier this year about an unnamed U.S. Air Force veteran who bought a Rolex watch in 1974 through the Air Force base exchange while stationed in Thailand. He bought the watch, a Rolex Oyster Cosmograph after hearing it was good for scuba diving. When he received the Rolex, he decided it was too nice to wear in saltwater and decided to lock it away in a safe deposit box. There it remained for nearly five decades

At the time he bought it, the watch cost $345.97, which was a lot of money to pay for a watch in 1974, especially for a military man whose salary was between $300 and $400 a month. But it turned out to be quite a good investment.

While appearing on an episode of "Antiques Roadshow" filmed in Fargo, N.D., this veteran learned his watch, which was …