Hello, I've only been a member of the forum for a year or so, not many posts, but this site has been an invaluable resource; thanks to all the mods, members, etc that have made it such a great site. On to my recent purchase. I picked up this 105.003-65 in the condition you see now; a little neglected and dirty, but hoping to give it a new lease on life. I knew before buying it, that at a minimum, it would need the crystal and crown replaced, minute and hour hands stabilized or replaced, and of course a full service overhaul. The case back was removed and the movement appears to be in good condition with no obvious concerns. Special thanks to a fellow member for taking a look at it in person and giving me some suggestions. With respect to the crown: Is it a reasonable expectation to find an original 24 tooth crown, or is my best option to purchase a modern replacement 24 tooth that are sold by a member of this forum? Pushers appear to be correct at 4.5mm Minute & hour hands: My initial thought is to try and have as much of the lume as possible stabilized and keep these hands. Alternatively, try and find a pair of tritium hands that would come close to matching the markers and chrono hand. Thoughts? Any feedback on course of action or comments in general are very much appreciated. Regards
A simple cleaning will make that one look quite nice! Is it necessary from a maintenance standpoint to replace the worn crown or is it for cosmetic improvements?
Keep the original hands. Have them refilled, not necessarily relumed, since the filling can be made without using illuminous mass. Great catch! Congrats!
These are the best ones to get, complete with 40+ years of dirt and grime! It's amazing what a new crystal and a good, thorough clean of the case will do. That dial will pop afterwards! Congrats!
Thanks for the comments and feedback. Agreed, it's nice to find something full of honest wear and tear, but just needs some TLC to bring it back to life.
Just need to make sure you get it to a watchmaker with a lot of experience on 321 Speedmasters, and a good deal of restraint
Absolutely. I was much more comfortable pulling the trigger on this knowing of my watchmaker's capabilities.
Great dial. A service and a crystal and you'll be ready for the 50th anniversary of Gemini 4. I know I am:
I thought I'd do a quick update on my 105.003 that I picked up early last year. It took a while to get it on my wrist, but the wait was well worth it. Proper leather strap is on order so just temporarily on a NATO
Tasty ..... Crystal made a huge difference.... I am sure you will get your money back that you put plus some.....
