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eugeneandresson
·Not disagreeing 👍
1973 Speedmaster Professional 145.022
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moretoasties
·Just got hands on. I'm a new Speedy owner. Details when I'm home!
Thanks all for the help, sorry I've been so silent!
Thanks all for the help, sorry I've been so silent!
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Pilot85
·Just got hands on. I'm a new Speedy owner. Details when I'm home!
Thanks all for the help, sorry I've been so silent!
Time to celebrate!!
How much was the damage? And more photos pleaseeee 🥰🥰
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moretoasties
·Alright, time for a more in depth update. Thanks to all who contributed, you gave a great deal of confidence in wading into this.
Watch was bought from the original owner. Box was not included and papers were nowhere to be found.
The watch is indeed a 145.022 ST 71, as suspected. The serial number is 31623***, which makes sense. The bracelet is a 1039 with 516 end links.
The watch looks nearly mint, though with a good deal of grime and some corrosion on the inside of the pusher stems. I don't think it was worn much, and was very likely never serviced. The step dial is clear as day in person, and the lume is sublime. I'm pretty happy.
Let me know what you all think. Nicer photos to come, but here are all few cell shots I took in a dim room while I did my initial inspection.
Watch was bought from the original owner. Box was not included and papers were nowhere to be found.
The watch is indeed a 145.022 ST 71, as suspected. The serial number is 31623***, which makes sense. The bracelet is a 1039 with 516 end links.
The watch looks nearly mint, though with a good deal of grime and some corrosion on the inside of the pusher stems. I don't think it was worn much, and was very likely never serviced. The step dial is clear as day in person, and the lume is sublime. I'm pretty happy.
Let me know what you all think. Nicer photos to come, but here are all few cell shots I took in a dim room while I did my initial inspection.
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msm5
·Congrats, great find!
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Screwbacks
·Congrats. That's a beauty, all original too. just need a little TLC, it'll look brilliant as new. 😉
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Denarius
·Lovely, another good sign of lacking wear is the paint is still in the case back writing.
I take it he knew what he had then if he kept the box?
I take it he knew what he had then if he kept the box?
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JwRosenthal
·Lovely pick-up. As someone asked earlier, care to share the cost? We are more curious for knowing where the market is at any given time. Did he offer the box for an additional cost?
If you don’t have a local wathmakwr that you work with, let us known where you are in the world and we can reccomend a watchmaker that can work on your Speedmaster- the guy in the mall kiosk changing batteries is probably not your guy- but hey, we all gotta eat.
If you are feeling OCD and want to clean the wrist cheese off the watch be forewarned, the seals are probably dried out and running it under a faucet with soap and water with a tooth brush- which is normally a fine way to wash a grungy watch, is ill advides until you have it serviced with fresh seals and a pressure test.
What I have done in the past is use Naptha (lighter fluid) with a soft toothbrush, and paper towels to mop the gunk up. It’s fast drying so won’t leech into the nooks and crannies. The funk around the pushers isn’t corrosion, it’s dirt & sweat aka wrist cheese. Toothbrush with Naptha again or dental floss makes for a good tool to loosen that stuff up without a full dismantle and untrasonic clean which your watchmaker should perform anyway. Bracelet is fine with soap/water/thoothbrush, but get in all those little grooves to get the crud out.
A cape cod cloth is all you would need to polish the case and bracelet, and polywatch in the crystal with some elbow grease can get that crystal shining like almost new (deep scratches would need to be wet sanded out).
You got a great first Speedy- enjoy!
If you don’t have a local wathmakwr that you work with, let us known where you are in the world and we can reccomend a watchmaker that can work on your Speedmaster- the guy in the mall kiosk changing batteries is probably not your guy- but hey, we all gotta eat.
If you are feeling OCD and want to clean the wrist cheese off the watch be forewarned, the seals are probably dried out and running it under a faucet with soap and water with a tooth brush- which is normally a fine way to wash a grungy watch, is ill advides until you have it serviced with fresh seals and a pressure test.
What I have done in the past is use Naptha (lighter fluid) with a soft toothbrush, and paper towels to mop the gunk up. It’s fast drying so won’t leech into the nooks and crannies. The funk around the pushers isn’t corrosion, it’s dirt & sweat aka wrist cheese. Toothbrush with Naptha again or dental floss makes for a good tool to loosen that stuff up without a full dismantle and untrasonic clean which your watchmaker should perform anyway. Bracelet is fine with soap/water/thoothbrush, but get in all those little grooves to get the crud out.
A cape cod cloth is all you would need to polish the case and bracelet, and polywatch in the crystal with some elbow grease can get that crystal shining like almost new (deep scratches would need to be wet sanded out).
You got a great first Speedy- enjoy!
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padders
··Oooo subtitles!So more like mid 1971 production then if ILMS is to be believed. The 1973 date was a red herring. Bracelet code also supports this.
Edited:
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eugeneandresson
·Congratulations...that sure is a nice find.
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TomGW
·Looks good to me. If you look closely at the lume on plots 12, 1, 2 & 3 it would suggest that this is a step dial. If the price if half right I would buy it in a heartbeat.
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moretoasties
·If you don’t have a local wathmakwr that you work with, let us known where you are in the world and we can reccomend a watchmaker that can work on your Speedmaster- the guy in the mall kiosk changing batteries is probably not your guy- but hey, we all gotta eat.
If you are feeling OCD and want to clean the wrist cheese off the watch be forewarned, the seals are probably dried out and running it under a faucet with soap and water with a tooth brush- which is normally a fine way to wash a grungy watch, is ill advides until you have it serviced with fresh seals and a pressure test.
What I have done in the past is use Naptha (lighter fluid) with a soft toothbrush, and paper towels to mop the gunk up. It’s fast drying so won’t leech into the nooks and crannies. The funk around the pushers isn’t corrosion, it’s dirt & sweat aka wrist cheese. Toothbrush with Naptha again or dental floss makes for a good tool to loosen that stuff up without a full dismantle and untrasonic clean which your watchmaker should perform anyway. Bracelet is fine with soap/water/thoothbrush, but get in all those little grooves to get the crud out.
A cape cod cloth is all you would need to polish the case and bracelet, and polywatch in the crystal with some elbow grease can get that crystal shining like almost new (deep scratches would need to be wet sanded out).
You got a great first Speedy- enjoy!
Thanks so much for the response! Not my first vintage rodeo so I do have a trusted local watchmaker who, upon return from their vacation, will be doing a quick de-case-ing and cleaning for me, along with a general once-over. Given the state of the gaskets, I didn't want to even hold a glass of water while handling this thing.
I doubt I'll do any sort of polishing, but I appreciate the guidance! The dental floss is a good idea for the pushers, though they're grubby enough that I think they'll need to be removed and cleaned.
I'm pretty stoked on this find, I'm fairly confident that it's everything I dared hope for. As close as I'll likely come to a barn find. 50-year old wrist cheese! Yum!
So more like mid 1971 production then if ILMS is to be believed. The 1973 date was a red herring. Bracelet code also supports this.
Correct. The seller's '1973' claim was all I had to go on until I got access to the movement, but you're correct that it's mid-1971 if the serial charts are correct. I'm pretty happy about this little revelation!
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JwRosenthal
·Thanks so much for the response! Not my first vintage rodeo so I do have a trusted local watchmaker who, upon return from their vacation, will be doing a quick de-case-ing and cleaning for me, along with a general once-over. Given the state of the gaskets, I didn't want to even hold a glass of water while handling this thing.
I doubt I'll do any sort of polishing, but I appreciate the guidance! The dental floss is a good idea for the pushers, though they're grubby enough that I think they'll need to be removed and cleaned.
I'm pretty stoked on this find, I'm fairly confident that it's everything I dared hope for. As close as I'll likely come to a barn find. 50-year old wrist cheese! Yum!
Correct. The seller's '1973' claim was all I had to go on until I got access to the movement, but you're correct that it's mid-1971 if the serial charts are correct. I'm pretty happy about this little revelation!
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moretoasties
·So glad you are thrilled with this lovely watch. I over-help new members as I don’t know their experience usually and it isn’t out the realm of possibility that someone recommends to “clean that watch” and the new member immediately goes and dunks it in the sink- I try to keep those new to the hobby from self destruction whenever I can.
As you should! I have more experience than my post count suggests, but I appreciate the advice all the same.
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JwRosenthal
·As you should! I have more experience than my post count suggests, but I appreciate the advice all the same.
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