which Rolex?

good luck with the search..and sorry for your family's loss. sounds like some big changes.

Sorry to hear about your uncle. Looks like he had a successful life.

I would divide each room up in equal sections of about 20-50 sf depending on what's in the room / how densely furnished it is. Then systematically search everything in that section before going to the next one. You already did your random search poking around to no avail, now you have to work like a police or archeology team would, leaving nothing untried in every section. I would sketch up each room and sketch up the sections to make sure you keep track of them.

It may be overkill to find a watch, but you may also want to do this to ensure no other treasures are left to the next owners. I am sure by now you wish your uncle had a 2 bd / 1ba, but if he had, he probably wouldn't have hidden his Casio.

Cheers,

G

Any unused fireplaces?

Fireplaces, chandeliers, would a rolex survive in a block of ice in the freezer?

I haven't checked the fireplace grill: not a bad idea. I've already checked the chandiliers & wall sconces.

we have to pack the house up anyway: will do the systematic-packing approach at that time. :/

This may sound crazy, but I can tell you first hand that it's not - dowse for it. Use a forked stick (any wood species), two brazing rods bent into "L" shapes, or make a pendulum from a piece of string and...any weight.

Google "dowsing". Years ago I was at a friend's and his wife mentioned a diamond ring that had gone missing, but was definitely somewhere in their house. It had been missing for several years.

I made a pendulum and started exploring their large home, beginning in the master bedroom. The pendulum begin swinging, increasing as I approached the husbands walk in closet, then to a sport coat in the back, that he hardly ever wore. The pendulum swung more and more as I neared the inside breast pocket, where the diamond ring was found.

There's no scientific explanation for how this works, but all humans have the ability to some extent. Again, strange, but if you are skeptical, it blocks the ability and nothing happens. This is what happens when scientists gather to witness and document the process - they're scientists and by their very nature skeptical and their negative energy blocks the downers ability as well.

I know, sounds all New Age garbage, but believe me, while I'm a right-brained artist type, I have a very strong interest in science. I became interested in dowsing in grad school and read up on it. Turns out you can dowse for anything, not just water, missing people, buried cable, lost jewelry, anything.

Ah, i remember now! It was the summer after grad school, I'd taken a temp. job as a helper on a survey crew for a small neighboring city. We were on our way to the little zoo the city was constructing adjacent to city hall to relocate a new water lines location (workers had knocked out the stakes or whatever).

When we arrived, I happened to find, stashed in the back of the truck, two heavy copper rods bent into "L" shapes. Surveyor told me they were dowsing rods, standard issue to a lot of survey trucks (still? This was many years ago), but he'd never tried using them.

Fascinated, I asked if I could use them to see if I could locate the buried pipe and he told me where and what direction to start walking. As I slowly progressed, suddenly the tods, held close in front of me like pistols, began to slowly rotate until they crossed (for some, the rods will rotate in opposite directions). When they were at 180 deg. opposed, the surveyor told me to stand still while he eyeballed and scratched a line in the dirt to correspond to the angle of the rods.

Surveyor set up his transit, directed me to assist and located the PVC pipe, which was not yet even connected to a water source. It's location was directly below, and precicesly aligned with the line scratched in the dirt.

I was totally intrigued and did a lot of reading and experimenting afterwards. I could recount numerous episodes where, over the years, I've located various objects as well as locations of people's homes on maps, etc. Again, if you're open minded and don't "block the energy" or whatever the hell happens if you doubt it will work, it will definitely work.

Interestingly, the process of dowsing is physically draining. My understanding is that whatever is used, forked stick, pendulum, etc., simply amplifies subtle, unconscious body movements, making them visible.

Give it a try! Believe me, I wouldn't have spent all this time poking at this keyboard if I didn't know all this dowsing stuff to be true. Hope you find the Rolex!

Check vehicle(s) and any off-site areas he had access to (safety deposit box, shed, workshop, etc.).

My brother is looking into renting a metal detector: that might help. Not sure my aunt would look at me the same if I tried the dowse technique: might have to feel her out on that one ;)

I checked his car, tractor, & riding lawn mower, shed, garage, pool house, & barn, though it's so small, very easy to hide. :/

You going to try dowsing? Costs nothing. I have friends back in Ohio that paid to have three water wells drilled, all coming up dry. Then they hired a dowser who spent about an hour on their property and located where to drill. They ended up with a very good well.

Was going to suggest a metal detector as well. Place a metal watch somewhere to get an idea of what kind of hit you are looking for and have fun... good luck with it!

I have my Fathers Rolex and know what it means.

Great ideas. I think asking the police for tips may be the best idea.

Good luck! Sorry for your loss.

Larry

Dowsing, would not have thought of that in this situation. Good call. I watched the septic guys dowse the location of the pipes for my undocumented septic installation over a 20,000 sq. ft. lot. They showed me how to do it and gave me the little metal rods they used. I was skeptical but it was spot on.

Was he wearing it?

Or under drawers behind kickboard of dresser - easy to take out drawer and put there even if frail.

Tim

My aunt is tired of searching: i think we'll hold off until we start packing the house up. :/