WATCH POP

Greetings, my father recently gave me his old speedmaster. I am thrilled it was a special gift that he brought for himself in 67 and now he has passed it on to me. I have a few questions. I would like some help identifying the type of Speedmaster? He thought it was a 67 (the year he got the watch) but from the research that I have done it looks like a 65 but that is just based on online searches. I have included a front image of the watch, not actually sure how to upload two images on the same entry.

Second question, the watch needs some work. The band was been replaced by a stretchy thing from Walmart and top and bottom buttons need some work. Should I send into Omega to be refurbished or have it done locally in Dallas?

Thanks for your help and please excuse the quality of the image.

Regards.

..k
Yes, that's the 65-ish model; very valuable. I'd be very careful where I had that worked on. My suggestion is to specify only work on the movement and buttons, leaving the dial and hands and bezel strictly alone.

The band should be replaced with a nice strap or vintage bracelet, but that's a personal choice.

Congratulations on your good fortune. A. Charles Beddoe Harvard, MA here is the back of the watch if that will help nail down the date. Can I specify if I send it into Omega what work is to be done? "Do you have any non-Fair-Trade coffee? I prefer to taste the exploitation." -- Mary (speaking to barista at Starbucks) I think he meant the inside of the case. The inside case back will reveal the model # and yr of case production. On the movement,you will find a serial # which will indicate the year the movement was produced.

I recommend the stainless steel vintage look-alike bracelet (1171) from Ofrie for $80. I have the original vintage stainless expandable bracelet, its not as comfortable as the 1171 and it a hair remover.

When getting it serviced, make sure they dont remove or change anything without first asking. I think watch makers love to replace hands. That second counter hand of yours is no longer being produced (thats what I read). They will replace it with the newer version, thus kill the authentic, everything original '65 watch from your dad.

I had the watcher maker polish some rust off of the hands of my dads Tudor when I got it serviced. I rather have it a little dirty, lightly discolored and original, then brand new, white and un-original. That's some watch you've got there! They're quite valuable on the vintage market, although that's kind of a moot point since I'm sure you wouldn't dream of selling it at any price. :)

Getting a proper service on it is a definite requirement, especially if hasn't been serviced recently. Oils dry up, and metal parts wear out. It's not going to be cheap, but I would strongly encourage it if you want this heirloom to last into the future. You probably shouldn't run it until it gets a good service to prevent any unnecessary wear & tear too.

Charles is right to caution you about carefully choosing somebody to do the work on it. These vintage mechanical chronographs are among the hardest watches to work on - in plenty of shops it's only the oldest, crustiest, and most experienced guys who work on them, and for good reason. Somebody here might be able to recommend a local watchmaker for you who can do a good job. RGM in PA is another good choice. You can even send it to Omega in Bienne, Switzerland (don't send it to OmegaUSA in NJ!). Bienne does great work, but with higher prices, shipping and customs hassles, and sometimes long waits. The Omega web page has recommended service price for that of CHF790.- (about $620USD), but it doesn't necessarily include all parts costs. Often a local independent shop can do quality work at lower prices.

Watchmakers and Omega in particular may be likley to want to replace parts on it as a matter of being able to guarantee some measure of durability into the future, and since many non-collectors often want the watch to come back looking as absolutely new as possible. Exact parts are sometimes no longer available though. Often if you carefully specify that you don't want anything changed, and stick to your guns in continuing to insist, it can come back looking much like it was before. Hands in particular are often recommended for replacement since the lume paint has degraded over the years, and safety requirements when working with the old radioactive materials can be a pain.

From a vintage and originality standpoint, an original or quality strap or bracelet is called for. But like Charles wisely points out, it's a personal choice - does that bracelet have sentimental value as well since it was your Dad's too? Has it been on there so long that it has become part of how you remember the watch? Or is getting it more in line with what it looked like when he originally got it more desirable? A quality black alligator-grain strap with white stitching would look just great if you're looking for ideas.

Good Luck!

-r www.omegawatches.com/index.php?id=390 "Mechanical watches are so brilliantly unnecessary. Any Swatch or Casio keeps better time, and high-end contemporary Swiss watches are priced like small cars. But mechanical watches partake of what my friend John Clute calls the Tamagotchi Gesture. They're pointless in a peculiarly needful way; they're comforting precisely because they require tending." - WG
How old is my vintage Omega? - Omega Serial Numbers by Year
Most likely your watch is a ref. 105.003 Speedy (pre-Pro), which is a very collectible and valuable model.
I would recommend sending the watch to Omega Switzerland. I'm not 100% sure but they may be the only source for those vintage pushers on this model. Also, their service is top-notch, so you get what you pay for (i.e. they're expensive!). I believe that you can authorize as much or as little of their recommended service as you wish and in any case, they will send all original parts that they replace back to you in a little Ziploc baggy. As for customs, there is a downloadable form (Omega has the form number on their website) from the U.S. Customs Dept. and I did not find it to be that much of a hassle. It's basically just verification that you are getting the watch back from repair rather than purchase that you fill out and send along with the parcel. Just make sure you use a fully insured method of delivery (USPS EMS is good for this) and it should all work out fine. They do tend to take their time over in Bienne but it is more than worth it IMO. Besides, once you get it back it won't need another major service like this until you're ready to pass it along to your son.
Congratulations on a very special Speedy with a great family connection. Tell your dad he has outstanding taste.
Best,
T.
"It's just a muscle. Only it is the main muscle. It works as perfectly as a Rolex Oyster Perpetual. The trouble is you cannot send it to the Rolex representative when it goes wrong. When it stops, you just do not know the time. You're dead." -- Ernest Hemingway, Across the River and into the Trees I'll second the "congrats" on your good fortune. Enjoy it and wear it in good health.

Cheers...

Michael Hello,

I pretty much agree with what everyone else has said, I wouldn't have anyone other than Omega Bienne touch it and even then I would SPELL OUT SPECIFICALLY that you DO NOT wish the dial or hands (or basically anything) to be replaced without them contacting you with the details first. Omega often assumes that customers wish these watches to "look and work like new" and go ahead and kill it's originality, which kills most collector's value.

Otherwise your query is remenecent of one from a couple years back... Click on the link below to read it.

Congratulations, the 105.003 (which is most likely the watch you have) is the Speedmaster moonwatch line model to have in my opinion. It's the Movado Museum watch of the Speedmaster line. It's quiet elegance is the envy of every other Speedmaster.

From Chuck's e-mail In Box... #1 what´s the problem with the pushers? they do not look damaged;the mechanism might need attention. but you keep the pushers. and they are still on the market, no problem. look for a good omega trained watchmaker in the US; follow recommendations. mail chuck for that. have the mvmt. overhauled ( might be around US$ 250-300), the crystal replaced, the pusher back to working condition and a very careful case polish from somebody, who knows what he does. leave everything else as is and wear it for a while. if you feel like relume hands and indices, send it to jack from IWW in the USA for an "old" lume replacement. enjoy it and pass it on to your kids ! like in that stupid patek ad. kind regards frrom australia. achim watchyouwant It MAY have been purchased in '67, but it's generally agreed the ST105.003 model was discontinued in '65.
It MAY be a VERY rare ST145.003 and that COULD have a '67 production date, Only the Serial # and engraving on the inside of the CaseBack will tell for sure.

Either Way, a Very Collectable Speedmaster ! Congratulations !

Cheers, Jeff B Mike Hailwood 1967: Congrads!! What a lovely watch, as many have point out, this is a very valueable watch without the crown guard + old lugs, get it restore properly and replace that bracelet =)

I envy you!
... those pushers are no longer available, achim, a least not through SGUSA. Believe I heard something about Bienne no longer releasing certain vintage parts off site. I just sent my 145.012 in for overhaul to my guy 2 months or so ago and no-go on the pushers. Therefore we kept the originals. Don't know what country of origin nothead is posting from but if he's in the USA and the pushers are "wobbly", he's SOL unless he finds a fellow who's been hording Omega parts. Sure it will cost some $$$ to get it serviced by Bienne, but this is a once in a lifetime watch and who better to do the job, eh? Present company excluded, of course.
Cheers,
T.
P.S. In my humble amateur collector's opinion, re-lume is a bad idea. "It's just a muscle. Only it is the main muscle. It works as perfectly as a Rolex Oyster Perpetual. The trouble is you cannot send it to the Rolex representative when it goes wrong. When it stops, you just do not know the time. You're dead." -- Ernest Hemingway, Across the River and into the Trees All, thank you so much for all the information. This site was recommended by a friend of mine, he said if anyone would know it would be you guys and he was right. I think I will send it off to Biennem unless there is a good recommendation for someone in the states or the UK. I am in Dallas and I make frequent trips to London. I am not concerned about it looking new, just original like when my dad purchased the watch. I am not worried about the cost (okay, maybe a little) of getting it refurbished and I really want something that I can pass long to my kids (hopefully a son at some point).

The pushers (the buttons on the top and bottom?) appear to be in good shape, they just do not move. The winder (ya, I do not know any of the terms) works fine and it keeps good time (it has not left my wrist since he gave it to me). The crystal is in moderated shape, it has a few scratches and in general the entire body needs a good cleaning.

When I get the watch back, I will show pictures of the before and after. Thanks again to all.