In 1974, David purchased a Rolex watch for a soldier's monthly salary.

• Illustrative photo: EPA

We each have objects we keep. Sometimes these are sentimental items, and sometimes some thing or other that might be worth a lot of money someday. But probably none of us will sell the item he bought for hundreds of dollars for $ 700,000.

David enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1971 and served for four years as a bomb destroyer. He assisted in dismantling minefields as well as performing debris and sabotage operations. In 1974, he decided to pamper himself and purchased an amount equal to almost a monthly salary of a luxury Rolex watch. It was, in retrospect, a decision that was worth a lot of money.

"When I was flying on planes, I saw that most pilots wore Rolex watches, and I wanted one, too, but they were always very expensive," he says in a series from a series of antiques auctions. "I found this watch for the price I could buy," he adds. The amount was high, probably a soldier's salary - $ 345.9. Which is probably why he never used a watch. "Every time I looked and decided it was too nice to take out of the box and put in salt water while diving. I never used it. I put it in the safe and it stayed there for 30 or 40 years."

He recently decided to sell the watch and therefore came to appreciate the amount. When a senior auctioneer told him the estimated amount he could sell the watch he fell off his feet, literally. "Your watch today is worth between $ 500 and $ 700,000 at auction. It's one of the rarest watches of its kind, and its condition I think is unique." David's response was only two words: "Unbelievable."