HELP NEEDED :) question about a vintage premoon speedmaster

[ucfguy1987]

Hey guys, long time visitor here, and have made posts here and there, but I'm in a bit of a conundrum and I'm hoping members of this forum could help me out :)

I've come across a rare gem that happened to pop up for sale in my neck of the woods, it looks to be a 1968 omega speedmaster premoon with a 321 movement. I've attached some pics of the watch below.

The watch looks to be refinished and hands do not look era correct (someone please help me confirm this). My question is, if all is original, except the hands, how much does this damage the value of this watch? And how much would a new set of hands cost?

Seller is asking $6,500 for the watch as is.

Thanks guys and gals, any input at all would be greatly appreciated!!!

[Alf_flash]

Hello, if possible please upload higher quality pictures. Its impossible to see this ones.

Thank you


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[Alf_flash]

Originally Posted by ucfguy1987

Hey guys, long time visitor here, and have made posts here and there, but I'm in a bit of a conundrum and I'm hoping members of this forum could help me out :)



I've come across a rare gem that happened to pop up for sale in my neck of the woods, it looks to be a 1968 omega speedmaster premoon with a 321 movement. I've attached some pics of the watch below.



The watch looks to be refinished and hands do not look era correct (someone please help me confirm this). My question is, if all is original, except the hands, how much does this damage the value of this watch? And how much would a new set of hands cost?



Seller is asking $6,500 for the watch as is.



Thanks guys and gals, any input at all would be greatly appreciated!!!

I would help you gladly. Help me with better pics.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[oldLeatherNeck]

if it's 68, it's the transitional period. The correct watch would have the 861 movement and a step raised logo dial, not the painted one which began in 69 on. I don't know about the rarity, but they all, both 321 or pre-70 861 are getting bought left and right these days. The 69 are known to develop tropical effect more so than any series.

$6500 for one with replaced hands is way over priced.

[sirish19]

Originally Posted by oldLeatherNeck

if it's 68, it's the transitional period. The correct watch would have the 861 movement and a step raised logo dial, not the painted one which began in 69 on. I don't know about the rarity, but they all, both 321 or pre-70 861 are getting bought left and right these days. The 69 are known to develop tropical effect more so than any series.

$6500 for one with replaced hands is way over priced.

A '68 is not necessarily a Transitional as the Transitional signifies the transition from the 321 to the 861 movement. In the OP's case, his has the 321 movement which would be reference 145.012 where the Transitional would be 145.022. OP's watch also has the serial number in the 2406xxx range which would be correct for the 145.012. I would ask to see a photo of the inside of the casebook as well to confirm the reference.

I am not an expert but have been studying the intricacies of buying vintage Speedmasters and from what I can see:

1) hands are replacements
2) Bezel is replacement - this watch has Dot Next to 90 where it should have Dot Over 90 (DON)
3) Bracelet is replacement - correct bracelet should be the 1039
4) the dial looks correct as it does have the applied metal logo (not the painted one that began in '69). It is also hard to tell with these photos but it also appears to have the stepped dial.
5) the case looks fairly sharp to me and doesn't seem to be over polished although casebook does look to be polished a bit (maybe it's just the photo).
6) I am not an expert on pusher and crowns but these could be replacements as well.

In terms of valuing it, there is a great guide on vintage speedmasters here.

http://speedmaster101.com/145-012/

Based on what you have, the replacement bezel and bracelet are going to cause you to lose a lot of the value. Bezels, dials and hands used to be replaced very regularly at service so now original DON bezels are extremely rare and extremely expensive (approaching close to $2,000) and the 1039 bracelet is running between $800-1000.

Replacement hands are not terminal and I think you can find some vintage hands floating around that won't break the bank. However, with replacement hands, you lose a lot of the charm of the watch as you don't have the matching patina of the lume on the hour markets. This watch looks like it has lost most of its lume anyway so doesn't make it very attractive.

All in all, I would say that $6500 is overpriced for this watch. You'd also need to factor in a service (don't believe anyone that tells you it has been serviced recently) and on a 321, that's going to be expensive.

Following Christie's auction a few weeks ago, the price of speedies across the board has significantly increased so you probably need to be prepared to pay. If you are looking for an everyday wearer that has some collectability, I'd look for a '68 transitional with applied logo, DON, 1039 bracelet and 861 movement.

I would recommend posting these pics or pics of any other specimens that you are considering to Omega Forums (https://omegaforums.net/forums/vinta...and-advice.23/), I apologize if we're not supposed to reference to other forums. They have a number of experts on vintage speedies over there who will offer very good advice on piece accuracy and value.

Here are a few pics of my '68 transitional. You'll see that I also don't have DON or the 1039 bracelet (and I think pushers and crown are probably also a replacement) but the dial is in good shape and the lume is very attractive. It's a good daily wearer.

Buying a vintage Speedmaster is a journey so I would recommend studying up as much as you can before taking the plunge. Good luck.