I've gone with my gut and bought this 145.012. The movement is so clean and the dial and patina look good to me. I think the price was fair too. Case seems untouched with a few small forgivable dings and original pushers, crown..I think. The bezel shows some scars but like we all know she's nearly 50 and it is do90! AML and original crystal. When on a timegraph machine it's running to an accuracy within 6 secs per day and has an amplitude reading of 348, indicating it wont require immediate servicing. All serials check out to '67 with a '68 stamped caseback.

Out of interest would you guys recommend trying to locate a better conditioned do90 or just keep it as it is? I kinda like things to be as best they can but also find it sad to change what's been there so many years!

All in all im v happy

 

You have a rare watch. The -68 is not often seen.
It is clean, apart from that meteor bezel.
The case especially, compared to some other, expensive watches I have been offered recently, is clean without corrosion.
The movement does look nice-ish. The photos are low res when I try to magnify, and I think I see turn marks on some of the screws, but that doesnt stop me. In fact it indicates a service.
Dial looks ok, though the photos show white lume, as do the hands - this may well just be the photos.
The hands as I say look very white, and the chrono is what I think of as a correct square end, correct as it is in a late example.

All in all you did well to trust your instincts.

Prices of these are moving up.

Good luck on the bezel, I think you will need 1500+ to get one commensurate!

 

@Spacefruit what does the "SP" mean at the end of the Reference #? Subsequently some of the Ref#s have an ST at the end, what does that mean?

@smitty190373 beautiful watch!

 

@KstateSkier +1 on this, and also some 105.003s were marked S 105.003.

I agree this is a really cool watch, and I think the bezel gives it some character!

 

applied metal logo and stepped dial is the only way to go , congrats

 

Nice watch!

 

Ah cheers guys, as I'm a vintage Speedy newbie i've had a few panicky moments on the way home with her. I feel alot happier now ha ha. Thanks again.

 

I would consider selling the meteor bezel, pocket the cash, replace w DN90 (which looks correct for a transitional that this could be mistaken for), then bide your time for a nicer DON.

But if you like the bezel as is, enjoy!

 

I think the -68 transitionals still had the dot-over bezels - the one major change was the square-end chrono seconds hand. Dot-over bezels appeared all the way through the -69 mostly!

 

Wait til you wear it more and more regularly - the Speedmaster is such a satisfying watch to wear!

 

Nice pickup!!
I have a similar vintage 1967 with a nicely "aged" bezel

Although Id love to replace it with a perfect one, I think I like the character on this more than the cost to replace it.

 

Sorry, but whoever checked this on the timing machine likely does not know how to use the machine. At 348 degrees of amplitude, you would have a series rebanking problem and the watch would be running literally hundreds of seconds fast per day.

More likely is that whoever did this test left the lift angle set to 52 degrees (yet again another example of this) and the balance amplitude is actually much lower. The lift angle for the Cal. 321 is 40 degrees, so taking off the approx. 72 degrees of error in the 348 measurement leaves you with the amplitude more likely around 276 or so.

Although that is not a terrible amplitude, you should be aware that timing results and balance amplitude alone are not enough to ensure that the watch isn't in need of service...

https://omegaforums.net/threads/if-...-does-that-mean-it-doesnt-need-service.20475/

You should seriously consider getting it at least checked by a professional watchmaker, or having the service done.

Cheers, Al

 

I thought they could have either and be correct?

 

Hey Al, I can fully understand what you are saying there (well at least that 348 sounds too high) we both said the same. I think I will wait to try and purchase a few things for her and get it all done together.

 

Congrats! Way to trust your gut as a 145.012-68 is a rare/tough find! Wear it in good health!!!

 

I much prefer aged to meteor

Great looking watch Cajun, thanks,

 

I suppose it's possible on a very late-production -68, but I'd definitely look for a dot-over if I were buying one.

 

"Waiting for the Expert to chime in" I can offer a interim explanation on the concept of SP. It stands for SPecial, as in extra waterproof. I should say that the pushers on yours are screwed into the case rather than pressure inserted as in earlier versions.

ST stands for Stainless Steel.

 

Congrats! Great find indeed. The last of the 145.012s. And yes, the correct bezel would be the DON. I would certainly try to hunt one down. "Meteorite" is a fancy word for crappy in my book...just my opinion. I've seen both types of chrono hands on various examples of the 145.102-68 I have encountered.

 

There's an OF thread on this here. Consensus is it seems to mean "special," referring to increased waterproofing. Some say it's "special poussoirs," or "special pushers," but in French the noun would come first, "poussoirs special."