I thought I’d share with you guys what I bought today.
This 145.022.69 Straight Writing.
OK, the hands are new… and the crown.. and the crystal…
And the case is over polished…. ahem.

BUT, I think it’s quite nice. The dial and bezel look lovely I think.

I posted a while ago here when I bought this 105.003
https://omegaforums.net/threads/you-guys-are-not-going-to-like-this-105-003.24357/
After all your help and advice, that watch is now with STS being serviced. User LWong helped me find a correct crown for it and STS are also replacing the pushers and ageing the hands and dial lume. Also sharpening the case (as much as they can).
Should be ready soon and I’m excited but I’ve been on the hunt for a DON bezel for it. I’ve let some nasty ones go and some good ones too.

So… I bought this watch today thinking I could use the bezel on this one for my 105 003 (I know, shame).
Hopefully, as the hunt continues, I’ll find one and not need to swap.
Maybe this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252000084036?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:ITPurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network
But the price continues to rise…
Anyway, thoughts welcome (anything).
Thanks and enjoy your week.
DT

 

I'm confused. You have a 105.003-64 which needs a DON but has the correct bezel for your 145.022-69. You have a 145.022-69 which has a DON. Just swap the bezels and your watches are correct. ???

 

That's a nice one. Looks good! congrats! and as Gemini4 says, swap the bezels and you'll be happy. the -69 doesn't need a DON.

can't wait to see what STS does with your 105.003 too! eagerly awaiting that thread!

 

Erm, really Gemini? Is it that simple?
Shouldn't this 145.022 have a DON bezel too because it's early? Isn't this probably the original one?
Also, are you sure the one on my 105.003 is actually this one from the book?

It looks so different, the numerals look so gloopy.

DT

 

Just switch and you are two perfectly coherent bezel for your two speddy!

 

If you look further into MWO, you will find that 145.022-69 had 3 possible bezels. The earliest had a sea monster caseback and a DON. Then came a 220 bezel with a Sea Monster Caseback. Lastly was the straight writing caseback and the first DNN bezel (dot next to ninety).

It is that simple.

 

YEAAH!
Thank you very much Gemini!
Appreciate your time and patience.
And thanks oddboy. Will post a thread as soon as my 105.003 is ready.

DT

 

Ok. You can tell me to sod off if you like now but I just re read MWO book and I'm pretty sure it's saying this watch with this movement number (30586651) should have a DON bezel. ?

DT

 

I don't think I've seen a straight text case back with an original DoN before. Like others have said, I though the straight writing '69's all had DNN with the tall letters.

I don't have moonwatch only with me atm. Does that serial definitely fall into the straight case back area and not the pre moon caseback? It's not beyond the realms of possibility that the caseback was changed.

 

We are pretty sure that 30.586 should have a DON bezel.
We are much less sure that 30.586 should be fitted with this caseback, although we have seen several examples combinig early s/n and straight writing caseback.

Later replacement? Possibly AD offered the possibility to replace the pre-moon caseback with this more appealing Straight writing? We will probably never know

 

Wow. OK. Thank you.

 

Interesting. I recently wondered this.

Several months ago I bough a barn find, but slightly rough '68 transitional, from the son of the original owner. It had a transitional serial no, applied 861 dial and DoN bezel, but a '69 straight writing caseback. Everything pointed to a '68 except the actual caseback and I wondered if in the light of the then recent moon landing, some dealers perhaps added the newly released, commemerative straight text caseback to their existing, 'pre-moon' stock.

 

I'd leave that bezel on the watch. It's a great, complete piece. There's other possibilities for the 105.003 - a medical bezel, a decimeter bezel, etc. I did the same as you, buying a 145.022-69 with a DoN bezel, thinking I'd swap it with another vintage bezel (not DoN), and using the DoN on another watch. Instead I left it alone and put a medical bezel on the other watch. I did find another pristine DoN on a Frankenwatch that had some othere interesting bits on it as well.

 

Oh wow....nice watch!

 

Yeah. Both lovely. And thanks for that advice Richard. Now that it's clear that the bezel matches the watch (and the only anomaly is the case back) I think you're right. I'll leave it. Weird re the case back but I guess I'll just have to live with it not knowing what happened over time. I guess that kind of thing happens a lot.
And yes, I'll keep hunting for any of those bezels but finding a good quality period correct one is hard. Lots of fun trying though.
Appreciate everyone's time and comments.

DT

 

Thanx I'm still waiting for the scans i requested from the owner

 

Interesting. I think there was another watch posted recently with a straight writing caseback but with a serial suggesting a 'pre-moon' caseback would have been correct...