Hello Forum Members, I have been searching for a new vintage timepiece to purchase and put into my regular rotation and I came upon an Omega Moonwatch Pre Moon Speedmaster Chronograph Cal 861 Circa 1969. I wasn't looking to buy a Speedmaster, however, once I tried it on today I was entranced.

Here are the details that were provided. Apologies if I transcribed some info incorrectly. 145.022-69ST. Movement 29112201 Cal 861. Dial: CL Medium Step Crown: A224T-Narroww Push Bezel: Don B1 Hands:C2 Baton Caseback: SP/Centre The shopkeeper said it was 100% original and they are a reputable vintage watch shop so I take that at face value. Asking $6300 USD.

Unfortunately, I didn't take a lot of pictures as it wasn't on my" target list" of watches. I would be very grateful for your feedback in terms of condition (if it is possible from the two pictures) and asking price. If I missed any pertinent information, please advise. Thank you in advance.

 

Could you ask the shop to open the case and take a few photos of the movement?

It is always recommended to inspect the caliber for water damage/rust specially for vintage watches.

 

Personally the dial would turn me off straight away.

There are rust spots(?) on the 10 and 11 marker. However, the dial looks to be turning a little bit brown which is good.

If it sings to you then go for it, but it doesn’t there are plenty of them out there

 

If the serial is indeed within the 2911XXXX range as @Realtime indicated, the dial would be a candidate to be(come) tropical... Interesting.

Back to the watch as a whole; to me it does indeed look like it's lived quite a life, but might very well feature its original dial, hands and bezel. Hard to judge based on just one full picture, though. Either way, the watch looks a little tired to my eyes.

@Realtime; In the case of buying vintage Speedmasters there is only one major advice many people can and will give you; if it sings to you... consider it.

 

I am in the market for the same in around the same ballpark price-wise. For me it would be tempting, but looks like there is no lume left on the markers, down to the white. If I am seeing that correctly I would probably pass at the price. But knock off $500 and I may have been sold. And I would have missed that little rust spot @zwjk pointed out, and been upset with myself for missing it, so with that a hard pass.

 

I would say overpriced. You can see past sales here in the forum for 69s priced cheaper and much much nicer. Have patience. The right one will come.

 

I guess the main issue is how you feel about the dial. If you like it, then it's worth serious consideration. Some people might not like the appearance of the dial, totally apart from price/value.

2911xxxx is a brown batch, but if the watch isn't significantly brown by now, I wouldn't buy it in the hope that it will suddenly happen. The bezel and case look pretty good but as noted above, the dial holds it back.

If you like it, and this is in a retail store, the price isn't outrageous IMO. You have the security and convenience of seeing the watch in person and buying from a brick and mortar seller, which is worth something. On the other hand, if you're not in a rush, willing to potentially wait months for the right one to come around, and willing to purchase from a private seller (i.e. a stranger) online, then you might be able to save a few hundred on the price. Or get a nicer one for a similar price.

 

In my opinion it's a little over-priced, but, it is being sold by a dealer and they need to make a living... the bezel, some of the lume plots are a bit of a turn off for myself. It is not an uncommon reference and you can do better, price-wise and condition. They mentioned buying from someone on the forum... I found three recent sales, all in 2020 and all include bracelets, each representative of a different grade... take a look and decide what condition you are looking for in this particular reference. All include bracelet, so subtract 1 -1.5k to get price for just watch head.
Low End... $4,100 USD sold 8/2020

https://omegaforums.net/threads/vin...-022-69-chronograph-cal-861-faded-don.119101/

Mid ... price dropped to 7,400 USD sold 9/2020

https://omegaforums.net/threads/fs-...-145-022-69-st-on-1039-516-don-145022.118981/

High End... $11,800 true collector's piece all the bells and whistles and looks brand new 8/2020

https://omegaforums.net/threads/omega-speedmaster-145-022-69-straight-writing-time-capsule.118511/

 

Wow, a wealth of information and some great insights shared. Thank you everyone, it’s all very much appreciated. After processing all of the info and perspectives, my quest will continue.

 

Try to get side pics to evaluate an eventual polishing. It's always very hard to judge that on pics, but from the top, it is almost just impossible...(my first feeling is on that point)

 

This watch would be a pass for me at that price based on the condition of the dial/plots. Some of the plots look to have completely lost their lume and some look to have dirt spots. The body of the dial is changing color and degrading but not in the typical brown/tropical manner. The case of this one is just ok; not overly polished by any means but with a fair amount of wear. The bezel is not attractive to me. I find the mossy consistency of the hands fairly alarming. Its not the minty green lume we often see on -69 speedmasters but has a different sort of texture.

 

Wow, this site is fantastic. I’m not in the market as I have a moon watch, but it’s really educating to see the commentary. Thanks people!