Hi all, I'm keen to get your advice!
I inherited this speedmaster from my uncle about 25 years ago, then was parted with it (long story) until last week. I'm really keen to understand more about it and get advice on what i should do to restore it to good working order whilst retaining its (assumed!) originality. So far I've found out it runs fast, has a Seiko (!) strap and i think it's a 105.003...

Also, any advice on who i should go to for the work?!

All info / observations / advice welcome..

 

Get it insured, put it on a high quality leather strap, and send it in for service. Where to send it depends on where you live.
If you're in the UK send it here. http://www.swisstimeservices.co.uk/contact.html
Do not send it to Omega and do not polish it, just service the movement. Looks to be a very nice straight lug, a great family connection too, hold on to it.

 

Hey thanks sky21, much appreciated. I've been reading about Omega and the need to maintain originality. Though would it be possible to do something with the face to make it clear again?1 I'd love to use it... what would you say a rough value is for insurance purposes? And thanks for the link, I'll check it out now

 

Replacing the hesalite crystal at the service won't hurt the value or the originality one bit. Hard to say a value these days, as the market for these straight lug 321s is just crazy. For insurance purposes, I don't think $10,000 is out of the question.

 

a very nice watch!

looks like there might be a bit of pitting, possibly corrosion on the case. you will want to have that checked out.

let us know where you are and someone can probably recommend a watchmaker.

as sky says, don't send to omega, don't change the visible parts (well, crystal is ok) but get the movement serviced.

lovely!

 

Thanks sky21, I'm in the UK, so will look at swisstime. I'll look into a replacement crystal - I've got no intention of selling it and would love to show my Aunty it restored to full working order and in use!

 

Thanks for the great advice oddboy - any ideas where i could pick up a crystal?!

 

PC of Junk ... Sell it to me for 500 bucks Agree - Movement only and crystal. No hands/face/case work. You really have to hammer this point and make sure it is in the work order. I'd budget $800 -$1500 for the movement overhaul. See Speedmaster 101 site for valuations.

 

STS will take care of everything for you, don't worry about it. Since you're in the UK, they should be your first and last stop for service for this beauty.

 

I'd second what sky21 says about STS. Make an appointment with Simon Freese at STS and take the time to travel out to Hockley to see him. He'll know exactly what to do with your watch and you'll realise you are in the presence of a highly able watchmaker. He'll make your watch look amazing without removing any of the originality that gives it so much collector value.

We get a lot of "Uncle" watches appearing in this forum and to say that they are generally a disappointment would be an understatement. Yours is absolutely the exception that proves the rule. Congratulations and enjoy it.

 

Nice piece, enjoy it. Like others have said, don't polish it.

If your uncle always wore it with the seiko bracelet, then me personally I'd do the same too!

 

As all others have said, STS is a no brainer. Best in the biz! Congrats on that gorgeous Ed White!

 

Thanks everyone for the nice words and helpful advice, it's much appreciated and good to get a very clear consensus..

 

Nice piece. The case and bezel are a bit nicked up but they match and it is the correct bezel. The dial has some nice looking lume with a nice creamy patina and some areas where the lume has that dirty look. This may just be due to the photographic technique as the dial/lume looks better in the second photo. The crystal is probably not the original (probably changed with the crown) and that is a good thing. Normally the crystal is replaced when the watch is serviced as its' rubber gasket is not renewable. Crown is a more modern replacement and I assume that the pushers are too (I am not good at spotting the differences in the pushers except for the very early ones that are much smaller). Again, this is a good thing as these are parts that are normally replaced when the watch is serviced. If you wanted to you could clean up the crystal greatly with little effort. It is made of plastic (hesalite) and you can buy some polywatch and polish the crystal. You will be amazed. You can also accomplish this with a bit of toothpaste, really. It has a micro abrasive that will make your watch crystal pop! Plus it will smell minty fresh when you are done. The hands are proper nad match the rest of the watch. All in all a nice piece that has all of the key original parts. Get the movement serviced and you have a great watch, one that I wouldn't hesitate to wear every day.

 

Nice piece! That's what I call a well worn watch

 

love it

 

Wow, thanks for all the info and advice richardew. I had to try the toothpaste and it had a dramatic affect! Looking forward to getting it up and running properly

 

Now this one is the "clean-cut, straight-laced avuncular Ed White we're familiar with." Not the "creepy unshaven, chain smoking in a windowless van outside your house at 3 AM" scam bait @trackpad showed us the other day.

My faith in the male siblings of one's parents is (partially) restored.

Very nice watch, take good care of it for your nephew some day.

 

Now that's an "Uncle watch" that I really like!

It is very important that you get it serviced ASAP or before too much winding/wearing. The lubricants will by now be non existent and you could cause undue wear to some critical parts (which are getting hard to obtain).

Get it off to STS and show us the result when you get it back.

 

Agree with all the others, my advice is to call STS on Monday and explain you have been recommended through the Omega forum and ask to speak with their head of service Simon. Send the watch to them (or if you can take it in in person) and leave very clear instructions about the work required (I assume you want to wear the watch and therefore) my advice is:

1: Service the movement
2: clean the case but DO NOT refinish
3: Replacement the crown, pushers, crystal and seals (but keep the old parts)
4: Replace the (incorrect) bracelet with new leather band

You could go down the route of returning the watch to new condition and STS could also do that but collectors (who are the people who buy 105.003's (which is what you have) like originality and a too 'perfect' example will not be as desirable to them as an original one

My advice regarding the bracelet is to not waste your money on the correct 1039/1506/7912 which would have originally been supplied as it will firstly run you at £1000+ and second they are not nice bracelets, either fit it with a JB champion NASA band or a nice period mesh, alternatively IMHO Ed Whites (the nickname of this watch) look awesome on leather

My uncle also has an Ed White (which I sourced for him) but I don't anticipate getting my hands back on that anytime soon