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Spacefruit
··Prolific Speedmaster HoarderThis watch is being offered (link here) at Bonhams in November, and it is a great example of a cheap speedmaster, and why you shouldn't buy it.
From this one photo, we can see some clues as to what reference this might be. I know they tell us, but we need to check them. Full size pushers and domed dial in asymmetric case tell us it is 1970s.
The domed dial has a short "S" and so it is -74 or -76 (Later dials the bottom of the S and P are at the same level)
So From the single photo its a 145.022-74 or -76....
Here is the description:
Model: Speedmaster Professional
Reference: 145.022-74 ST
Date: Circa 1975
Movement: 17-jewel Cal.861 manual wind, No.28088628
Dial: Black, luminous baton hour markers, white outer 1/5th second divisions, subsidiary dials at 3, 6 and 9 for seconds, 30 minute and 12 hour recording, white pointed baton hands with luminous inserts, centre chronograph hand
Case: Brushed and polished tonneau form, screw down back, twisted lugs, shouldered crown flanked by twin pushers, tachymetre insert to bezel
Strap/Bracelet: Fitted 1171 Omega link
Buckle/Clasp: Signed folding clasp
Signed: Case, dial & movement
Size: 40mm
With just the one photo, it is very hard. The photo(s!) at Bonhams are great in that I can blow it up huge, but the post-processing is very apparent, and takes a while to get used to and read. For example, I thought the dial print was completely degraded at the minute track, and now I think its a result of the focus stacking and other processing combining to look like this:
The dial might be ok, but it is impossible with Bonhams photos to see the surface and be sure. Therefore, a buyer cannot set a maximum based on knowledge.
A couple of other issues. The bezel, surely bleached? These bezels are currently trading around 300 - 600 so replacing it is an expense if you wanted to, but I would leave it at this level
Another issue that would be corrected at service is the crystal rehaut is set, so the split is at the 2 o'clock marker. It's a small thing and easy to fix.
Hand lume is a little loose, and I would want to examine at service, but probably just make sure nothing is loose.
So in spite of only having one over processed photo, I have learned quite a lot - it is very helpful to be able to zoom it. However, there is no way Bonhams photos can communicate to me any desire, even with a good watch. I cannot see the dial surface, and knowing how much work has gone on in the photo, what do I believe? Why in today's internet age, they only put one photo of a lot that many will buy over the web, is beyond me.
A vintage speedmaster at 3000+ comission is not that easy to find - they have a lot of issues. But at the high estimate after comission and in USD it is about $5,700
For comparison this is on C24 at USD 4,500 and is possibly more correct. I consider C24 prices up to 20-30% optimistic.
Couple of points to bear in mind - the lume on this is greenish. I think the crystal of this C24 watch may be comparable to the Bonhams one, but the different focus systems make a big difference. The C24 hands are also worse. And we don't know if the movement is extractabel.
That said, this Bonhams watch is in the "RUN AWAY" department. Unless that is Bonhams have miss read the movement number. There is no extract and the number 28088628 does not fall near any known speedmasters.
From this one photo, we can see some clues as to what reference this might be. I know they tell us, but we need to check them. Full size pushers and domed dial in asymmetric case tell us it is 1970s.
The domed dial has a short "S" and so it is -74 or -76 (Later dials the bottom of the S and P are at the same level)
So From the single photo its a 145.022-74 or -76....
Here is the description:
Model: Speedmaster Professional
Reference: 145.022-74 ST
Date: Circa 1975
Movement: 17-jewel Cal.861 manual wind, No.28088628
Dial: Black, luminous baton hour markers, white outer 1/5th second divisions, subsidiary dials at 3, 6 and 9 for seconds, 30 minute and 12 hour recording, white pointed baton hands with luminous inserts, centre chronograph hand
Case: Brushed and polished tonneau form, screw down back, twisted lugs, shouldered crown flanked by twin pushers, tachymetre insert to bezel
Strap/Bracelet: Fitted 1171 Omega link
Buckle/Clasp: Signed folding clasp
Signed: Case, dial & movement
Size: 40mm
With just the one photo, it is very hard. The photo(s!) at Bonhams are great in that I can blow it up huge, but the post-processing is very apparent, and takes a while to get used to and read. For example, I thought the dial print was completely degraded at the minute track, and now I think its a result of the focus stacking and other processing combining to look like this:
The dial might be ok, but it is impossible with Bonhams photos to see the surface and be sure. Therefore, a buyer cannot set a maximum based on knowledge.
A couple of other issues. The bezel, surely bleached? These bezels are currently trading around 300 - 600 so replacing it is an expense if you wanted to, but I would leave it at this level
Another issue that would be corrected at service is the crystal rehaut is set, so the split is at the 2 o'clock marker. It's a small thing and easy to fix.
Hand lume is a little loose, and I would want to examine at service, but probably just make sure nothing is loose.
So in spite of only having one over processed photo, I have learned quite a lot - it is very helpful to be able to zoom it. However, there is no way Bonhams photos can communicate to me any desire, even with a good watch. I cannot see the dial surface, and knowing how much work has gone on in the photo, what do I believe? Why in today's internet age, they only put one photo of a lot that many will buy over the web, is beyond me.
A vintage speedmaster at 3000+ comission is not that easy to find - they have a lot of issues. But at the high estimate after comission and in USD it is about $5,700
For comparison this is on C24 at USD 4,500 and is possibly more correct. I consider C24 prices up to 20-30% optimistic.
Couple of points to bear in mind - the lume on this is greenish. I think the crystal of this C24 watch may be comparable to the Bonhams one, but the different focus systems make a big difference. The C24 hands are also worse. And we don't know if the movement is extractabel.
That said, this Bonhams watch is in the "RUN AWAY" department. Unless that is Bonhams have miss read the movement number. There is no extract and the number 28088628 does not fall near any known speedmasters.
