you may want to consider - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ra...990432?hash=item216b0dd920:g:O0cAAOSwt-BeQoqKPurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network Happen to chance upon the listing while browsing EPrey. Not sure how legitimate it is, so please exercise the usual caution and due care. Chye
Come on, you've been around long enough to know we want photos, not just the link. Pull up a chair and read the listing. Basically is states: Don't believe what you may think you know, believe us, we've done the research. While I freely admit I know little to nothing about this watch, I find the listing very curious; almost to the point of trying too hard to convince the reader it's impeccable.
So to expand, this is allegedly a super rare Speedmaster from Venuswela. The seller states in his (extensive) description: "Now this is a very special piece for us. Not only for the watch in question but specially for all the work involved in shedding light on this particular model. It’s been a long journey studying and collecting evidence in trying to find out the history on this very strange piece. If you start by doing some searching online you actually won’t have much trouble finding examples of this watch posted in several forums, watch groups, sales ads, etc, since several years back until now. Unfortunately we live in strange times where the easy access to information seems to backfire in a strange way. People forgot about the basis of watch collecting, specially vintage watches, where one of the first rules is “do your due diligence”. Research, find information, validate facts, confirm evidence, in short, due some homework!! It’s your money after all. But strangely people just take the information given by a few more well known media sources and that’s it. People take this for granted, validate it as being truthful and even worse spread it as being the ultimate truth. You will also take notice that every time a watch like this was posted the immediate reactions were your usual keyboard warriors simply shouted fake, redone, franken, in a blink of an eye! In 5 secs they would immediately sentence this watch. Well, simply because posting those remarks makes them look good! They feel like experts that can give an ultimate judgment in less time that you take reading the whole post. On the other hand if you dare to say the watch might be legit you’re probably in for a shower of replies that range from ignorant, to newbie, to find another hobby and worse. Believe me, I’ve been thru it a lot of times! This is common across all kinds of brands, types of watches, price range, etc. I think over time people just loose common sense. We started off collecting all evidence of these watches. We found pictures in forums, blogs, FB watch groups, eBay, sales websites, old catalogs and even very well known Omega books! We studied all pictures and came to an obvious conclusion that they all look exactly the same. The dial being the strangest part of this watch is exactly the same in all pictures we found. The same “crooked” fonts almost childish like, the 3’s , the 2’s on the subdials, the “professional” everything is exactly the same. The printing certainly doesn’t look like your normal Speedmaster dial, not because of quality issues but because the printing of the numerals and letters are definitely different. But again, this is common to all, this wasn’t a simple redial on a watch, they all shared the exact same characteristics. Another very specific fact to these watches. They all have a serial number on the outside of the caseback which a “normal” Seamaster Anakin doesn’t have. The plot thickens..... Now why would a fake or redone watch would have its own serial number?? Also, they all have the exact same bracelet, the original Seamaster Anakin issued bracelet 1166 with 171 end links. Also, we could trace almost all of them to South America and all within 1972/73 serial numbers. So we sent detailed pictures to Omega and asked for an Extract of the Archives and guess what? It’s all correct! Case and serial numbers, movement, date, country of origin and specially the dial, “black with luminous indexes “ which is the exact same description Omega uses for Speedmaster dials, versus the “black with blue and red accents” they use for Seamaster Anakin dials. We could find about 10 different watches like this in various places, even a full set one with all papers, and we could conclude the following: -Exact same cases and bracelet references. -Exact same movement with serial numbers from 72’, 73’ - Exact same dial with “strange” font - All originated from South America and most probably Venezuela. - All have a unique serial number on the outside caseback - According to the Extract of the Archives, they already left the Omega factory like this We shared all this information with several known Omega collectors and blog writers and all agreed the watch is in fact original and was probably a special request by a retailer. The fact is that this watch was also sold under the Bucherer brand and Lemania with different dials but specially Lemania had an almost exact version of this Speedmaster dial which might have led to this special request. Well there you have it. This is your due diligence. Researching, collecting evidence, comparing and validating. You can also read the article I and Diogo Costa wrote about this at https://thedailydiogocosta.com All relevant information can be seen at the pictures posted and the Extract of the Archives but any questions you might have just get in touch with us. This isn’t a new found Speedmaster because it was under our noses all the time and this isn’t the first time it happens also, if you recall some Japan only versions were disregarded as fakes for long time also and now are highly sought after. But it is rather satisfying to finally shed some light on such a special piece. For more information and pictures contact us or visit our website at watch.-garage" The fact that on the extract it says Seamaster and not Speedmaster. I think this is a franken Pictures for Posterity Thaughts?
I thought that the "Anakin" and "Darth Vader" watches were two different dial variations of a Seamaster chronograph? As far as I understand the Anakin is still a Seamaster chronograph but with a blue chapter ring as well as blue instead of grey inside the registers. I could be wrong... but I know for a fact that the dial is refinished. I'd stay away. He can try and convince you all he wants but he is pressing hard to make a sale on a more than questionable watch. Edit: Check this out: https://www.fratellowatches.com/watches-pencils-7-omega-darth-vader/ and https://www.omegawatches.com/en-us/watch-omega-seamaster-omega-st-145-0023
Come on, we know sellers NEVER lie! "No the case has been never polished!" -Every seller that has sold an old angular-lugged connie
Those two are much more like it And regarding the "Speedmaster" version, if it is a Speedmaster as the dial says then why do the Extract and case back both state Seamaster? Maybe there are more than one of these floating around but I still find it extremely hard to believe that the dial is Swiss production and even harder to believe that such a dial could have passed QC As for the watch book scans being used to reinforce authenticity, I have many older watch books with dubious dials in them, I certainly wouldn't present them in 2020 to prove anything. Having said all this I'm no expert, so could be totally wrong, but I personally won't be chasing this one to add to my set.
I did a quick search but could not find the discussions. Will try again. My attention was caught by the following statements in the sales advert - "We could find about 10 different watches like this in various places, even a full set one with all papers, and we could conclude the following:..." and "We shared all this information with several known Omega collectors and blog writers and all agreed the watch is in fact original and was probably a special request by a retailer:" So, OF being what it is today, I was hopeful that some members could shed some light on them. Chye
From what I recall, the nicknames were bestowed by the late Chuck Maddox - http://chronomaddox.com/darth_vader.html And not just dial differences, but also the case materials.
I understand this but my point is that what OP posted is a Speedmaster. I was saying, from what I understand, the Anakin and Darth Vader watches were Seamasters. Sorry if I wasn't clear in my post.