Today I picked up a rare bird: an Omega Speedsonic. I hope it will run with a new battery but my watchmakers also works on these movements and I'm pretty sure he can get it to run again. Serial: 38m. Bracelet is obviously newer (unfortunately). Dial is a bit mirrorlike and very nice!

 

I hope he can get it running for you. ESA only made 21,000 of the chronograph movements and Omega were not their only customer. This can genuinely be called a rare watch.

 

Fingers crossed its just a battery

 

My experiences with F300 so far: 0 out of 2 so indeed fingers crossed.

 

Hi

Here's another version of the Speedsonic.....which do wear very large indeed compared with the Speedmaster....they can also can be a bit temperamental and do not like getting banged around !



Best - Neil

 

So 21,000 movements or even whatever somewhat smaller number that were turned into watches would be considered rare? In the part of the watch world where I come from an original production of 10 examples would be considered rare. A production of a 100+ might be scarce. 1,000 might signify difficult to find but hardly rare.

I suppose that if 21,000 examples were produced and so few worked that all but a few ended up being destroyed or thrown away a working example might possibly be rare or scarce. Speedy 2998-x watches are not rare. They are difficult to find because they are highly desired and don't come on the market often enough to satisfy the demand...but they are hardly rare or even scarce.

Guess I'm being nit-picky.... If 21,000 is the definition of rare I guess that's OK, but every time I see an eBay ad which calls an Autavia Viceroy or a Pie Pan Connie "Rare" a smile comes to my face...can't help it.

JohnCote
Curmudgeon after 40+ years of watch nerdness.

 

"Rare" is often misused and the term should probably be reserved to the culinary arts ;-)
I prefer uncommon. So, if 21,000 were made and given the temperamental nature of these movements, it is likely that finding a working example in nice condition is an uncommon event.

 

Well: good news and bad news. First of all the third shop I visited had the battery so that was lucky. When I put it in the watch it hummed and the minutes hand moved. No seconds hand movement though. No chrono as well. So took out the battery and sent it to my watchmaker. I assume it needs at least oil.

 

Watch needs a full service which is basically a double one. Double price as well