After some advice - My Dad's 'Ed White' Speedmaster

Congrats again!
I'm one of the fellas that commented on your FB post, and as suggested, I'd just have the movement serviced.
I would keep the watch the way he wore it, and if down the road you become more of a collector and can appreciate the subleties of having a DON vs a DNN, then I'd consider dropping several grand on small parts that don't make a huge difference...
Enjoy the heck out of it !

Service and polish/replace crystal and you're good to go. Get the case cleaned up..but not polished!! If you want to wear it that's all you really need. I wouldn't mess around with the bezel unless you're really into watches and originality...Perhaps if it was ever an item that was going to be sold..but seriously, save yourself the expense and the hassle As for the dial...Well there's your dad's personal history there. Doubtless extreme humid heat and the moisture of a tropical rainforest in Viet Nam had a hand in this. True battle scars...Why would you want to erase that?

Thinking about it more overnight, I would also recommend finding a genuine period bracelet for it, since the current one is not the right size for the watch, as evidenced by the gap between end link and lug.

If that was the strap your Dad used, then I would say keep it as worn, but “as worn” was obviously on a NATO for most of its life, so the current bracelet is an afterthought anyway.

You must keep us posted of the progress @krakajac with photos! 👍

Certainly will! 😀

Very cool

Fantastic watch mate and a lovely story. I turned up here 14 months ago with my Dad's 1965 Speedmaster in need of some attention and, believe me mate, you're in the right place!.

I agree with the action suggested by @Davidt. And the sentiments of @chipsotoole, @oddboy and @Foo2rama.
One thing I have learned from this place is that the story behind a watch is as important as how 'vintage correct' it is. There seems to be plenty of collectors who have got hold of an old Omega Speedmaster and then 'fakked about' with it until it is 'vintage correct'. (Bit like Frankenstein).
All very nice and all very correct but they don't seem to focus the imagination in quite the same way as the watch you have inherited.

In my view, the Omega Speedmaster is very much a kind of "C'mon!.. Don't fakk about!... Get on with it!" watch, and a personal military application is just perfect for such a time piece. Your Dad's watch has all of that, along with the battle scars that document it's history. I personally, wouldn't, replace the heart and soul of this beautuful watch. In the UK we are fortunate enough to live within a few hours drive of some of the most competent Omega service experts on the planet. Simon Freese Watchmakers and Swiss Time Services. I'm sure that with the right advice you should be able to get this lovely watch serviced and cleaned up to a standard that will enhance it's vibe and value.😀

If you are new to this and are trying to work out how much money to spend on the watch have a look at this article by @Spacefruit on his web site (Speedmaster101) http://speedmaster101.com/blog/a-value-discussion-on-105-003s/
you'll find out pretty much all you need to know about your Dad's watch on this website.

I'll agree with pretty much everyone above. Service the movement, polish the hesalite with polywatch, and you're done. The service replacement bezel reflects how your dad wore it. Don't sell it unless you're really in dire straights -- how often do you have a chance at an heirloom that your dad wore every day? About the band, maybe consider a tan NATO strap that's similar to how your dad wore it?

I glanced through the comments already left, and there's a lot of good info. I saw several who opined that you leave it as close to original as possible, and I tend to agree with that group. If I read your comments correctly, though, you were concerned by the condition of the dial, which I see as the biggest problem this watch has, aesthetically. If it were mine and had belonged to my father who wore it in Vietnam, I'd probably have the movement serviced, as many have suggested. I would not fork over thousands for a DON bezel. I'd keep the service bezel your father had put on it. You can try to polish that crystal, and it might look good with some scars with the other imperfect parts. That's not a big issue. New crystals are not difficult to install. You can have that done any time. The dial might look better once the crystal is cleaned up, too. I'd leave the hands as they are and keep the crown, if it is serviceable. As for getting a bracelet, this is easy. Your dad wanted it worn with a military strap. I'd use what is closest to that. I would keep the dial, too, but you may not be able to live with it. If you start changing the dial and hands, the character of the piece is changed completely. If it were mine, I'd like having it worn and rough but running well. That's my view. I wear a pretty rough 105.002 that is a family piece. It's in today's WRUW, actually. The Japanese call it wabi sabi, I think. It's the beauty of imperfection. Remember, you can alway have more work done later, but you can't undo some changes. Enjoy it.

My congratulations, very nice watch!

Hi.
Just a thought but did your Dad get the original parts back from Omega after it was serviced?
Might be worth asking or looking for them?

Joe

This. All of this.

Yup one of his doggy assistants is Billy, also Tuesday.