eBay Ed White grab - what’s right, what’s wrong & why I grabbed it anyway

airansun · Jul 25, 2019

I’m posting it here for feedback and insights, which I always get from you guys.

I love finding watches ‘with possibilities’ on eBay. 🙄

My favorites are little worn vintage Speedmasters that were improperly serviced by replacing hands, pushers, crowns etc. Some of them go cheap. 😒

This Ed White put everyone off, I assume, because the dial, hands, crown and bezel are clearly wrong. But, look at the case! 😲

It’s a really nice B2 bezel, which suggests a service before the early 90’s. Note that the dial has long hour markers, which makes it unusual and interesting, even tho it doesn’t belong on the watch. The hands are luminova but the dial is tritium.

Those pushers are correct, even tho other stuff has been replaced. Note how free of damage the pushers are. It is interesting that the inner cover is a little mottled and not as nice as the rest of the watch.

Almost no marks on the backs of the lugs. Yes, I saw the loose screw after I looked at this picture and replaced it. The serial number is in the correct range, with production estimated in April ‘66.

Comparing pushers from another Ed.

I already have a dial and bezel for it. 😀

$4.2k. ::rimshot::

padders · Jul 25, 2019

Serial sounds valid, mine is 22825xxx with production date on extract of 6/4/66 so I would put and example 4K serials later at May or maybe June '66. Just my 2p worth.

padders · Jul 25, 2019

Its a nice catch but at the risk of sounding a little like a party pooper, I dont like the bevel on those lugs, it may be right for one straight lug iteration, but not for a -65 EW in my experience. It looks more like the FOIS interpretation so may be a heavy refinish or indeed a replaced mid case. I have never seen a -65 with bevels that extreme.

eugeneandresson · Jul 25, 2019

From a VAP perspective, that’s a great deal 👍

I just find it odd that a watch that left the factory 50+ years ago and has a NOS looking case/case-back like that, would have every single other part incorrect/swapped...from (little) experience with mint vintage if the case is that good, the rest is better (and original). Don’t mind the pessimist in me, I think you did very well ...

airansun · Jul 25, 2019

@padders : Is it possible it’s a service case from the 70’s to 80’s?

padders · Jul 25, 2019

airansun
@padders : Is it possible it’s a service case from the 70’s to 80’s?

Hmm. I hadn't considered that. Could be but I think the caseback is the original deal. perhaps a replaced mid case only. Do bear in mind it may actually be a modern FOIS replacement case, the bevels are awfully similar.

airansun · Jul 25, 2019

Part of the reason I grabbed this was I had to see it in person, for all these reasons.

The case looks genuine and period to my eyes and the back seems to go with the mid band. (I have other EWs to compare it to.)

And what about dial?

bags1971 · Jul 25, 2019

Looks like the case has been polished by omega I had one similar if you recall

E-diddy · Jul 25, 2019

padders
Its a nice catch but at the risk of sounding a little like a party pooper, I dont like the bevel on those lugs, it may be right for one straight lug iteration, but not for a -65 EW in my experience. It looks more like the FOIS interpretation so may be a heavy refinish or indeed a replaced mid case. I have never seen a -65 with bevels that extreme.

I agree. bevels look too wide.

airansun · Jul 25, 2019

padders
I dont like the bevel on those lugs, it may be right for one straight lug iteration, but not for a -65 EW in my experience. It looks more like the FOIS interpretation so may be a heavy refinish or indeed a replaced mid case. I have never seen a -65 with bevels that extreme.

Yeah, this is part of the reason I posted this here, cause in my limited experience, I haven’t seen a -65 with these lugs either. But, these fluted lugs seem, to me, rare on any straight lug Speedmasters.

padders · Jul 25, 2019

Yes. But not so not the modern interpretations. The FOIS, modern CK2998 and Trilogy watch have lugs like this, so it is either a refinish in the style of a very early watch or possibly, perhaps more likely a replaced mid case. EW facets are either small (63 and 65) or non existent (64).

airansun · Jul 25, 2019

So, the mid band belongs to a -64?

https://omegaforums.net/threads/pre-moon-omega-speedmaster-105-003-64-brown-dial.33589/

bags1971 · Jul 25, 2019

sorry forgot to add a pic done by omega when the previous owner sent it for a service

airansun · Jul 25, 2019

@incabloc has this watch.

padders · Jul 25, 2019

Hold the phone. I just realised you have a unicorn dial! That is a circa 1970 long index, stepped, non AML, 321 movement, wide T, Professional service dial described in MWO but not ever seen. Other than mine that is. Which I have fitted to a 145.012-68. We are now related! Rare but not necessarily valuable of course, but it is nice to see another

padders · Jul 25, 2019

airansun
So, the mid band belongs to a -64?

https://omegaforums.net/threads/pre-moon-omega-speedmaster-105-003-64-brown-dial.33589/

No definitely not the -64 is the one with no bevels/facets.

eugeneandresson · Jul 25, 2019

@airansun ... how do the following polygons compare to your other Ed-Whites?

If these were refinished/reshaped, I would expect your other watches to be 'fatter' as such.

airansun · Jul 25, 2019

So, serviced in 1970 or so, and case, bezel and dial were replaced. Impact damage maybe.

Then sat in a drawer. Someone resurrected it in the last 20 years, where luminova hands were fitted. Then back to the drawer.

That could cover it.

airansun · Jul 25, 2019

@eugeneandresson :

Fun stuff actually

new on right

New on bottom

New on right

New on top

New on right

And, the money shot:

New is on top

Edited to include useful labels after @eugeneandresson guessed which was which

eugeneandresson · Jul 25, 2019

airansun
@eugeneandresson :

Fun stuff actually

And, the money shot:

Totally fun stuff...thanks for the pics!

So, just for my own sake:

Pic 1: 'new' one on the left
Pic 2: 'new' one on the bottom
Pic 3: 'new' one left
Pic 4: 'new' one on the bottom
Pic 5: 'new' one on the left
Pic 6: 'new' one on the top

?

eBay Ed White grab - what’s right, what’s wrong & why I grabbed it anyway

airansun

padders

padders

eugeneandresson

airansun

padders

airansun

bags1971

E-diddy

airansun

padders

airansun

bags1971

airansun

padders

padders

eugeneandresson

airansun

airansun

eugeneandresson

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