The vastness of the oceans hides an astonishing collection of lost items, far beyond just marine life. From sunken cities and shipwrecks to modern mysteries and everyday items, these lost objects hidden within the oceans offer a captivating glimpse into human history, our impact on the planet, and even tragic mishaps. In a search to find such mysterious items, Australian surfer Matt Cuddihy found a Rolex watch at the bottom of the ocean last summer. He shared his remarkable discovery of a Submariner Rolex watch in the ocean off the coast of Queensland with his fans on Instagram.
The watch had severe wear and tear from being underwater for so long. It was covered in rust and major corrosion; the glass was partially frosted over from the sand; the crown was jammed; but the second hand was still moving. But Matt still decided to find its original owner, and ultimately, the watch was restored and returned to its rightful owner.
A post shared by Watches.of.Espionage ♠️ (@watchesofespionage)
Once the watch made it safely to the shore with Matt, the Australian surfer noticed an inscription on the back that pointed to the person whose wrist the watch used to proudly rest upon. The watch, after going viral and gaining traction both online and in the media, Ric Outrim was contacted and identified to be the owner of the Rolex.
What was even more astonishing, after learning about the incident, Rolex decided to step in and help Ric, who once served in the Royal Australian Navy, in restoring his watch to its original beauty.
The user shared the news with the caption, “The power of the internet. After sifting through the hundreds of messages, we found the legitimate owner of this watch. It sat at the bottom for 5 years, but for 48 years it was attached to a local adventurer, so I’m stoked to get it back to its home.”
A post shared by Matt Cuddihy (@mattcuddihy)
With the help of Fratello Watches, the watch was restored, much to the delight of Ric, who disclosed that he had been wearing it for nearly 50 years after he received it at the age of 18.
The media outlet Ladbible quoted Ric, saying, “I would like to say ‘thank you’ to that watchmaker because it’s clear how much love and effort went into this project. We had lunch together with the Rolex team in Brisbane. It was missing for such a while that I had sort of reconciled with this sense of deep loss.”
Elaborating further, he said that he never thought the watch would come back to him, but Rolex was amazing. The whole experience was ‘unbelievable,’ and he was so emotional after he became resigned to losing it.
“I’d like to have Matt as a friend for the rest of my life. He’s a person of very high calibre,” he concluded.
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