Antique Roadshow Delong Movements - Rest of the Story

[HenryB]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/roadshow/series/highlights/2005/reno/fts_hour1_1.html

This is a follow up story about the Delong movements shown at the Reno Antique Roadshow - 2005.

I tried unsuccessfully to find another thread to post it in.

**Fred** or others, if you find the thread, please feel free to move this post.

[crsides]

Thanks for posting Henry.

I saw the original showing plus caught it on the reruns. I cringed when he said probably a salesman ... $4000- 6000.

[Chicago]

Hahahahahahaha! :clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:

I remember when I first saw this, I told my fiancee- "That is probably the worst underestimation of value I have ever seen on this show!"

How did I know?
Because it was an item I would've gladly written a check for- at that very moment- for a sum twice that of the appraised figure, and I am not a wealthy man!

It was being appraised by a person who was obviously completely unqualified to asses horological items. He may be a fine "jeweler" and he could probably price a new Rolex with the best of them, but to have such a person appraising items like the Delong movements was like picking any random horse trainer at Churchill Downs to appraise an oil painting- of a horse.

Just goes to show that a large number of the people who are 'respected experts' may know enough to seem knowledgeable to the uninformed, but really, they don't know enough to be truly useful.

[Tom McIntyre]

We have discussed this a couple of times before. The original airing was a year or so ago. The longest thread is in Miscellaneous.

If you want to know more about DeLong, there is some material on McIntyre Watch Co. (http://www.mcintyrewatchco.com).

[terofpa]

Hahahahahahaha! :clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:

I remember when I first saw this, I told my fiancee- "That is probably the worst underestimation of value I have ever seen on this show!"

How did I know?
Because it was an item I would've gladly written a check for- at that very moment- for a sum twice that of the appraised figure, and I am not a wealthy man!

It was being appraised by a person who was obviously completely unqualified to asses horological items. He may be a fine "jeweler" and he could probably price a new Rolex with the best of them, but to have such a person appraising items like the Delong movements was like picking any random horse trainer at Churchill Downs to appraise an oil painting- of a horse.

Just goes to show that a large number of the people who are 'respected experts' may know enough to seem knowledgeable to the uninformed, but really, they don't know enough to be truly useful.


What was the apraised value?

[Tom McIntyre]

Kevin appraised them at $5,000 to $6,000 on the show. I and several others spoke to him the next day and he eventually revised is appraisal to $100,000. I don't think that is much more accurate than the original appraisal.

The full story is at the link shown in the first post. Dennis Gaffney does follow ups for Antiques Road Show and interviewed me pretty extensively on the subject. He got it pretty much right as reporting goes.

[Jerry Freedman]

I am attaching a photo of a movement made by a student of DeLong's when he was teaching at Peoria, Illinois. It appears to be a spring detent escapement. I hope you find this of some interest because of who DeLong was.

[Jerry Freedman]

Here is a closer look at the escapement!