I get itchy when I dont see a speedmaster thread up here for a while. So Inspired by MSN's doubles I thought I would show these. Now yes I know the one on the right should have a base bezel, but do you know what? No one will sell me one! (Or will they?) Please enjoy two of my favorite Speedmasters:
The one on the right does have that extra bit of chocolate about it , the patina looks amazing, as do the creamy hand a lume colour.
beautiful The right one unfortunately has not only the wrong bezel but also the wrong central second and the wrong pushers. So I take the left one
Nice of you to have found this pair. The 2998-1 and -2 models are almost as difficult to locate as the 2915s. And they are a lot more affordable - at least at this point in time as I think these early 2998s are still pretty undervalued.
An Update.... I thought it would be no problem and I would have had a new photo of these up within weeks (or even days) of the problems identified above. However it has taken me until now, with the help of many friends, to get to this stage with my 2998-1's. And i will say again, I do appreciate a nicely degraded, or patinated dial. The trick, for me, is knowing what I like...
Except now I need another BASE1000 bezel: And this one has a black, but ever so slightly patinated dial. So anyone have that bezel?
Wonderful to see examples of the same reference side by side like this. Is there any significance to the different shaped luminous paint areas on the hour hands? Aesthetically, I prefer the shorter/triangular variant and it certainly makes it easier to tell the time in the dark from a functional point of view. But is one earlier or more likely to indicate originality than the other? Were they produced at the same time and it was just a matter of whim which type went on?