While helping my father clean out my late, great aunts house last May I found this Omega Speedmaster Professional watch. Of course I brought it to my fathers attention and he told me that they had found a catalog and a price list with the receipt. The receipt is missing at this time but my father assures me that he has it, he thinks it is from 1969.


My father is not a watch guy and I am so he gave me the watch. I am certain that I want to send it in for service as the movement only works if I hold the crown in just the rite position. My question is how far should I go with the repair and replacement of parts. I understand that the “dot over 90” Bezel is special however mine is worn and scratched, should I replace it? Also the tachymeter-reset button has a very sharp edge from a bad hit or drop, should I replace it? The dial and crystal are ok and I assume that putting the tachymeter hour hand back on should not be an issue.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

It is a nice original speedy. Certainly get it serviced but not polished and change only the parts absolutely necessary and preferably no cosmetic parts. That bezel is just fine and only adds to the character, you will not be able to replace like for like.

Do you have the original bracelet?

Cheers

 

Take it to a good watchmaker who knows not to replace anything.

 

Heed all advice from people like @Barking mad above and you will be fine

 

That catalog is very cool as well!

 

First thing to do is to get rid of the flex-band, it can seriously damage the lugs of the watch; I should know, as two of my vintage watches which were found with these both had marks after them.

 

I love these "barn finnds"

 

Unfortunately no, I would like to find one though.

 

Unfortunately no, I would like to find one though.

 

A nice find.

Looks like a 145.022-69

The important thing, as far as value preservation is concerned, is to choose the person who does the work carefully.
It is quite possible to to send this watch to Omega for a "service", spend over $1200, and end up with a watch that if offered here would get zero interest from us, and maybe $1500 on eBay - Yes, that is after a full Omega Service.

So be careful, the value in this watch, apart from the sentimental one, is in the age of all the parts, and the way they all fit together in terms of commensurate patination. So best to keep the watch as cosmetically unchanged as possible.

Now having said all that, this is a 861 speedmaster, so I would have no hesitation in servicing it, and even replacing the pushers, crystal and crown for performance reasons - this is a usable and reliable watch that can be enjoyed daily. Obviously I would keep the service parts for prosperity, but frankly they will never go back on the watch and the changes will not affect the value. As I said, it's an 861 not an earlier 321 which might have a case for keeping everything original, in spite of the performance issues.

My instructions to a watchmaker would be:

Service movement, changing crystal, pushers, and crown.
Fit new internal parts as deemed necessary.
Clean and cloth-polish case, but no metal removal.

The bezel is worth a discussion. It is correct, but poor. Is it worth changing? Well a top condition bezel sold for 1800 last year. You don't need one that good, but even so, a matching one might be 600-900. Personally I would keep it. It is part of the history. What I would not do, is change the bezel for a modern one.

As others have said, get rid of the bracelet, find a nice strap. Then slowly hunt down a nice bracelet. You might find that you don't want one in the end.

It's always nice to see these.

 

I was going to send it to Omega in New Jersey.

 

No. Don't do that.

 

By the way thank you for all of your advice.

 

Can I get a recommendation for someone trust worthy in Southern California or Santa Barbra for the repairs.

 

I've used Mo at About Time in San Diego to service three of my Omegas -- a SMP and a Speedmaster Pro and a Speedmaster Reduced. He's really good and won't talk you into anything you don't want (or shouldn't) do. Call him -- worth a discussion.