Waited 50 years: farmer returned his Rolex after it was eaten by a cow (3 photos)

95-year-old James Steele admits he never expected to see his Rolex Flash again.





James Steele, 95, was wearing the watch in 1974 when one day the strap came loose and one of his cash cows taunted him. The farmer believed for a long time that the watch would “appear” on its own, but this never happened, so he was forced to buy himself a new Rolex.

The watch was only unearthed and returned to Steele after metal detectorist Liam King asked permission to scan the field. James Steele, from Oswestra in Shropshire, said he was delighted to have his old watch returned to him.



"It was one frosty morning and we were taking the cows to the vet. The strap of my Rolex watch) came loose and the cow ate it. I looked hard for it, but I couldn't find it. I never thought I'd see it again," the farmer said .

In response to a question about whether he was ready to put on his watch again, he said there was “no chance.” However, he continued that repairing the watch would cost “a fortune,” so he agreed to just get it as a souvenir.



However, James' son Andrew, who now farms the same land at Treflach Hall Farm in Oswestra, Shrop, said the lost Rolex was considered "part of the family history".