Chocolate Dial -69 Auction Result

ibis888 · Tues. 12:12pm

I was watching this 145.022-69 on Loupe This is with the hopes that no one would notice and I could scoop it up at a bargain price. My hopes were dashed however, final hammer price reached $8,800 after the 10% premium,

The watch serial is in the correct range, and everything looks correct to my eyes. Case sides look to have taken some pretty big hits over the years though.. which is interesting considering the very good condition bezel. Curious as to the expert’s thoughts on this one.. a seemingly correct example but an honest one? Perhaps it even went to a member of the forum.

pitbos · Tues. 2:12pm

A few more photos from the auction.

SOG53 · Tues. 2:25pm

ibis888
This is with the hopes that no one would notice and I could scoop it up at a bargain price.

😂you too?
I share your concern about the discrepancy between case and bezel. Something looks off to me, maybe the color, not sure. Maybe I'm just in a bad mood. Maybe I'm not destined for a chocolate Speedy.... can't put my finger on it just a feeling.

ibis888 · Tues. 2:26pm

Timegrapher data looked good, movement ok, maybe some marks on the screws. I spent a good bit of time looking at the bezel for authenticity and it seems legit.. but I am no expert. But yes, something felt perhaps off. I still would have been a buyer at a lower price but not for me on this day.

SOG53 · Tues. 2:49pm

All hands have been replaced service hands.

Dan S · Tues. 2:54pm

Amazing dial, pristine bezel, banged up case and corroded pushers. But honestly, it's all about the dial. Very special. I think the price was about right. If the rest of the watch had been pristine, it would have brought at least $10k.

ibis888 · Tues. 3:07pm

Dan S
Amazing dial, pristine bezel, banged up case and corroded pushers. But honestly, it's all about the dial. Very special. I think the price was about right. If the rest of the watch had been pristine, it would have brought at least $10k

Turns out it’s a pretty efficient market out there.

Dan S · Tues. 3:27pm

ibis888
Turns out it’s a pretty efficient market out there.

I'm surprised more people don't sell on that site, TBH.

hansaboy · 2026-05-06T00:23:34-0500

Thanks for posting @ibis888 !
We always love auctions about Speedys….😬

But first, and I have written this a few times - you are never never alone regarding auctions on Speedys..
This one was up for more than a week, and hoping that it would go under the ”Speedyradar” belongs to the good old days...

But back to the watch!
This one has a few things that makes me wonder?

The case and also the caseback looks very used, and has had a hard life, but comparing them to the bezel….
The bezel looks very very undamaged, no dings or marks on the carrier ring...!
The hour, minute and chronohands are too white, and looks non original to the watch.
The crown is a service crown (not a biggie).
The serial nr is not in the special batch (trying to read??..2963xxxx) that might get lucky with brown dials.

Skärmavbild 2026-05-06 kl. 07.15.24.webp

The dial…hmmm…tropical…
Thats a word that dealers and collectors love to use!

They have one picture that shows the dial with very very strong light or sunshine,
and tilting the watch in certain angles always achieves a better/nicer tone to the dial.
The dial has a nice and pleasing color, with a brown tone, but calling it tropical feels like a bit of a stretch?

Here are a couple of sales showing ”tropical” dials!

https://www.windvintage.com/omega-speedmaster-tropical-dial-professional-ref-145022-69

Skärmavbild 2026-05-06 kl. 07.11.07.webp

https://www.chronoholic.com/product...dmaster-professional-145-022-69-tropical-dial

Skärmavbild 2026-05-06 kl. 07.12.13.webp

And also a very interesting article from our dear @Spacefruit :
https://speedmaster101.com/blog/brown-dials/

My 5 öre from Sunny Sweden!

ibis888 · 2026-05-06T03:24:47-0500

Yes, I have learned my lesson! I figured as much when the price started jumping up so quickly.

Thanks for the analysis @hansaboy it seems as if the forum has aligned and probably the final sales price reflects what has been said.

Quite the premium still for the dial.

DSotW · 2026-05-06T03:55:09-0500

After having worked in authentication of paintings a long time ago, and since there is a lot of money to be made in watches like this, I wonder if there are not people faking this. For instance, if you remove the dial and exposed it to intense UV light, would it not start to bleach the dial into the chocolate / tropical colour, and, since some of the dial near the edges might be spared such intense sunlight it would not change as much / at all at the edges? Maybe that could be a way of authenticating / finding fakes? At least until the forgers catch on to the idea and tape off the edges...

pitbos · 2026-05-06T11:39:18-0500

The watch at auction has a very nice even brown dial. Call it what you will, tropical, brown, chocolate, coffee, etc., it is still (subjectively) beautiful. As Dan stated, I also think this dial is special and much nicer than the Windvintage/Chrono examples with stained lume plots. I agree the extreme sunlight shot is a bit much, but the evenness and tone of the brown looks lovely.

The very good condition of the DON relative to the rest of the watch doesn’t bother me. Honestly, all bets are off when buying from a dealer or anyone other than the original owner (and even then it’s a gamble) - parts are replaced and swapped for aesthetics in the interest of securing the highest sale price. For me, that’s a genuine DON and I’d love to own the watch with that bezel and that brown dial.

pdxleaf · 2026-05-06T12:52:03-0500

pitbos
Honestly, all bets are off when buying from a dealer or anyone other than the original owner (and even then it’s a gamble) -

:📖:

It's clearly been cleaned up. I like that they left the case nicks on the watch, but it looks like someone in the past has re-brushed the sides. Even the movement cover looks to have been polished (the dent looks smoothed.) Meaning, this has passed through the hands of people who knew what they had.

A good dealer will know how to clean up a watch but not go too far. These are old watches that were worn, so we shouldn't expect many excellent watches. Plus, a good dealer stands by the watch if there is a future issue.

But at the end of the day, you roll your dice and take your chances, especially if you can't see it in person.

DSotW
For instance, if you remove the dial and exposed it to intense UV light, would it not start to bleach the dial into the chocolate / tropical colour, and, since some of the dial near the edges might be spared such intense sunlight it would not change as much / at all at the edges?

Clever analysis. I've only seen two aged brown dials in person. One was hard to tell but popped out in direct sunlight. The other was clearly a faded brown (and gorgeous). But neither was evenly brown, especially around the step and edges. This experience makes me a novice, but it also makes me suspicious of an even color across the whole dial.

pdxleaf · 2026-05-06T12:56:51-0500

Dan S
I'm surprised more people don't sell on that site, TBH.

It slipped under my radar. But it looks like a great option.

DSotW · 2026-05-07T02:05:36-0500

pdxleaf
Clever analysis. I've only seen two aged brown dials in person. One was hard to tell but popped out in direct sunlight. The other was clearly a faded brown (and gorgeous). But neither was evenly brown, especially around the step and edges. This experience makes me a novice, but it also makes me suspicious of an even color across the whole dial.

Well, the Speedmaster Mark ii that I inherited from my Father is slightly chocolate. As you say, it is more noticeable in brighter light. It dates from 1969, I know it was his only watch until 1985 (when he got his business Rolex), so he wore it all of the time (at work, at play etc). After 1985, he used it as his beater when working outside / painting the house etc. It makes sense to me that it would start to fade a bit.

What I see in the photos above, this watch must have sat in direct sunlight for quite a long time to do that. I am not saying it is impossible...

Chocolate Dial -69 Auction Result

ibis888

pitbos

SOG53

ibis888

SOG53

Dan S

ibis888

Dan S

hansaboy

ibis888

DSotW

pitbos

pdxleaf

pdxleaf

DSotW

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