Zach Norris is a watch enthusiast (yes, that’s a thing) from Phoenix and regularly goes hunting for vintage timepieces in hopes of finding a diamond in the rough. Recently, he went into a Goodwill store, and on his way out spotted something unusual in their watch bin; the dial on a watch that read, “LeCoultre Deep Sea Alarm.”
Knowing this could very well be the diamond for which he had always searched, he paid the $5.99 tag price, and bolted.
“I didn’t even want to give it to her to scan,” Zach told KTVK-TV. “I was like, ‘You can scan it in my hand if you want to.’ I just didn’t want to let it go.”
Because Heaven forbid Goodwill ever found out what it was worth… (cue sinister music and some poor, unemployed people getting more help).
Zach then posted about the find on the Vintage Watches Facebook Group and very quickly was flooded with inquiries and offers. Eventually he settled on a deal with one collector.
In exchange for the LeCoultre, Eric Ku would give him an Omega Speedster Professional (value: $4,000) and $35,000 cash. The two met in San Francisco and made it happen.
According to a news outlet that interviewed Zach about the entire experience:
“They ate a lunch of lobster rolls and fries at the Old Port Lobster Shack and talked watches. The following day, Eric drove Zach to the airport and they parted ways as friends and happy men.”
Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Just two lucky guys talking watches and eating lobster rolls. What could be better?
Oh, right… helping poor people.
While Fox News claimed that Zach Norris donated part of the funds back to Goodwill, we cannot find another quote from Zach or another story to corroborate that fact. From what we can tell, he will be using the funds to pay for his wedding.
“We’re planning a wedding,” Zach said. “We’ve been a planning a wedding for a while, but now that we have the extra funds, we’re going to go ahead and start taking care of everything…We’re excited.”
And so are we. We’re happy for the guy. It was a great find and who wouldn’t use some of the money to pay for a wedding to the love of your life?
But all of it? Considering where he found it?
One thing is for sure; the next time we go to Goodwill to gear up for an ugly sweater party, we’re not leaving without a $16,000 lamp.
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