AN EXPERT thrifter has restored an $8 watch which could now sell for as high as $1,000.
Redditor so_magpie purchased the beaten-up Seiko at a flea market, buried under "piles of costume jewelry and a box of watches".
After a swift battery replacement and plenty of sanding, the swish gadget is now poised to sell for over 10 times what was paid for it.
"I bought a beat up watch to restore," he posted.
"I was hoping I could do repair to the movement as well but all it took was a battery.
"The hardest part is that it is a glass crystal not plastic.
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"It took a lot of sanding."
The user laid out the complex sanding process to fellow watch renovation enthusiasts.
He said: "I started with 1000 grit emery cloth (sandpaper). It wasn't doing anything so I jumped down to 800 grit emery.
"Note: all the sanding I did was in a circular motion on a wet piece of emery.
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"Once I could not see any scratches besides that of the sandpaper I went to 1000 grit.
"If any original scratches appeared I went back to the 800 grit. You could stay at 1000 but it would take forever (I think)."
While the cost of Seiko watches varies widely, the average price will set buyers back between $500 and $1,000.
Redditters were impressed with the user’s nifty transformation and shared their praise in the comment section.
"Great job, nice rescue piece," one applauded.
A second user agreed: "Amazing job!
"I have a couple of watches I need to fix up!"
It comes after one avid thrifter spotted a picture frame that ended up being worth over $1,000.
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Elsewhere, another thrift store shopper shared the evidence of their incredible deal on a coveted vintage camera.
They were able to get the Leica M3 camera for just $15, even though it's worth roughly 80 times that much.
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