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Considering buying this Ed White 105.003 Speedmaster

Samp
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Hi All!

I have been reading on this forum for several years and learned a lot (and bought and sold a lot), and now finally the time has come to make my first thread start. Will try to be more active on this forum going forwards as well.

So here is the situation at-hand. Ever since I sold my brown dialled 145.022-69 I have regretted it tremendously and my attempts to get it back have been futile. As I am still keeping the hope of purchasing it back, I thought: why not add an additional Speedmaster to my collection. The Ed White (105.003) seemed like a perfect option, as it has a different case and the 321 movement.

I have been offered the watch below, a 105.003-65. It was serviced ca five years ago by Omega, hence the new parts. However, I will get the old parts and plan to reinsert them should I purchase the watch. The pushers I have understood are service, and the old ones seem broken from my ocular assessment.

What attracts me is the dial which seems to have a brown tint, it is also clean. The bezel is also in good condition. The case has obviously been polished (too much?). Crown is service from what I gather.

The movement number starts with. I searched for it on ilovemyspeedmaster and it showed the correct reference.

The seller is asking USD for the package, after negotiation (so there is no wiggle room). I would be tremendously thankful for your assessment on condition primarily, and secondarily whether you think that the price makes sense given the condition. Ultimately the question is: should I buy it or should I keep looking?

Thank you for your time!
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timoss
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Hey, there-- I assume you are familiar with speedmaster101.com? This will help you with valuation. That said, this watch doesn't fall easily onto the price charts there due to it's "refurbishment" by Omega, IMO. To me, the refinished case voids any interest in the watch. Even if you were to track down original pushers and crown and throw the old hands back on, the case can't be changed (I mean, it COULD, but...) and therefore, to me at least, it is not worth $13k. Not sure what's going on with the "chipping" around the outside edge of the bezel, either--also unattractive, IMO.

Personally, I would rather have a "naturally aged" example in worse condition than an artificially "clean" one like this. But that's me.
 
watchyouwant
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Difficult..... Without the correct metal band the price is borderline. How does the back look ? Correct old Mvmt. Cover? I'd leave the pushers. An experienced Watchmaker can put the old pushers together again and you keep them . If the correct crown is with you, have the watchmaker install a new crown seal to keep your options open. Re install the old Hands. Then wear it and soon it will not look that new..... If I had the funds available now, I'd buy it. Keep all paperwork from the Omega service.
 
ortope
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I would replace the hands, the pushers and of course the crown.
Is the crystal a flat feet narrow Omega type?
All this parts are getting more and more difficult to find and expensive too.

The housing and the bezel could eventually be restored by a specialist to its original conditions nowadays.

A big problem would also be to find the right band and the correct end links for the watch.

Considering all these issues, all in all the watch offered is a little bit to expensive IMHO.

Cheers
 
Samp
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Thank you for all answers. I am indeed familiar with speedmaster101, but found it difficult to place it in the price chart.

Just to clarify that I am not interested in having a bracelet, I plan to wear it on a leather strap.

Are the service pushers correct for the reference? I guess they are not.

The decision would be easier if the price was not that high. What attracted me was the condition and colour of the dial. There is some fomo involved, I wonder should I ever find an ed white with such a dial, as I appreciate the brown colour and how they interplay with the yellow lume. How rare are these dials anyways?

Pics on the case back were requested.View attachment 1392717 View attachment 1392718
View attachment 1392720
Edited:
 
Badwolf
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I'd buy it, but definitely try to negotiate the price down. You may not want the bracelet, but they are now a considerable amount of the value, so this does devalue the watch.

The back looks pretty good.
 
Dash1
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Samp Samp
I wonder should I ever find an ed white with such a dial, as I appreciate the brown colour and how they interplay with the yellow lume. How rare are these dials anyways?
If it is indeed brown they are very rare and desirable. I’d check that out as a priority.
 
padders
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A few -65s show some browning to a greater or lesser degree, mine is more obvious that that but I still wouldn't call it truly brown. It is nowhere near what the -69 Pros end up like. Don't go mad unless you can easily discern it as brown. This looks pretty brown here, but is much less so by eye.

IMG_5930.jpeg
 
Jayrock26v2
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padders padders
A few -65s show some browning to a greater or lesser degree, mine is more obvious that that but I still wouldn't call it truly brown. It is nowhere near what the -69 Pros end up like. Don't go mad unless you can easily discern it as brown. This looks pretty brown here, but is much less so by eye.

IMG_5930.jpeg
As long as it appeals to you. Looks like the right shade of brown to me a nice dark rich chocolate
 
Dan S
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As @padders noted, if you have to find exactly the right lighting and squint to see a shade of brown, then you shouldn't get too excited about that aspect of the dial. It's only when the dial has a really obvious brown shade in normal lighting that it makes a substantial difference in value.

Overall I like the watch, and it will look good with the original hands replaced, I would have them stabilized. If you wear the watch frequently, it will gradually accumulate wear and the case condition won't stand out so much. I don't know if those pushers can be salvaged or not, or if you have the original crown, so it's hard to evaluate that aspect of the price. These little things all add up for a collector, and in general, prices for this reference seem to have softened significantly over the past few years. Amazing all-original examples still command strong prices, but the price differential based on condition has become quite dramatic from what I am seeing.

The service pushers are probably the correct Omega replacements for this reference, but not the same as the originals. Same with the crown. Experts will immediately notice them, but they may or may not bother you.
 
Samp
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Dan S Dan S
As @padders noted, if you have to find exactly the right lighting and squint to see a shade of brown, then you shouldn't get too excited about that aspect of the dial. It's only when the dial has a really obvious brown shade in normal lighting that it makes a substantial difference in value.

Overall I like the watch, and it will look good with the original hands replaced, I would have them stabilized. If you wear the watch frequently, it will gradually accumulate wear and the case condition won't stand out so much. I don't know if those pushers can be salvaged or not, or if you have the original crown, so it's hard to evaluate that aspect of the price. These little things all add up for a collector, and in general, prices for this reference seem to have softened significantly over the past few years. Amazing all-original examples still command strong prices, but the price differential based on condition has become quite dramatic from what I am seeing.

The service pushers are probably the correct Omega replacements for this reference, but not the same as the originals. Same with the crown. Experts will immediately notice them, but they may or may not bother you.

Thank you for your reply (and for all other who have chimed in as well). I agree with your view as regards the shade of the dial.

I will not get the original crown in the package.

The pushers I could live with and replace further on. It is mainly the price given the the negatives that I have hard to reconcile, but there is a fair degree of fomo involved as well. A shame the seller is not willing to move down an inch.
 
Jones in LA
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I'm far from being a Speedmaster expert, but having a squeaky-clean, factory serviced movement is a big plus in my mind.
 
Samp
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Still haven't made up my mind, but people's comments have been really helpful. I called my watchmaker and he did not think that the old pushers could be mounted.
Edited:
 
Samp
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Update: I purchased the watch and will make sure to post pics as soon as I receive it if anyone is interested!
 
mbp
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Samp Samp
Update: I purchased the watch and will make sure to post pics as soon as I receive it if anyone is interested!

Congratulations--were you able to negotiate? Looking forward to the pictures. It seems like a really good example of an Ed White.
 
Samp
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mbp mbp
Congratulations--were you able to negotiate? Looking forward to the pictures. It seems like a really good example of an Ed White.

Thank you! And thanks to everyone who provided input. Without that, I would never have dared to take the plunge. I did not manage to move the price too much but the colour of the dial had me!
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smoothsecondscom
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Samp Samp
Update: I purchased the watch and will make sure to post pics as soon as I receive it if anyone is interested!
Congratulations!
 
repoman
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I think you did just fine. Congratulations, you will enjoy this watch very much especially if you wear it often, I have no doubt of it.
 
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