How else would you like it to put it? It is a watch built from incorrect parts from different periods and years of manufacture = Franken.
I don't see a more "Sympathetic" way of phrasing it...
So pretty please, with a cherry on top... It's a Franken.
I think an EOA will say wether the watch is Franken or just a serviced watch.
I hope that also helps put a perspective on what I'm looking for from the watch, and that my enjoyment might be a little different than say, @ndgal's it seems.
@ndgal has a seller's perspective, which means that he doesn't have the luxury of assuming/hoping that something might be correct, or living with an incorrect part that looks good. He needs to be able to back up his claims of authenticity to a buyer of an expensive collectible watch. Personally, he might enjoy frankenwatches that look good ... we don't know.
I think an EOA will say wether the watch is Franken or just a serviced watch. If the movement is a Speedmaster it is not Franken.
As an interesting aside to the wide spaced T dials, and movement numbers for the 105.012, I have an EOA for my 105.012-65 with a movement number(25,442,xxx)that is over 1 million outside the range in Moonwatch Only. It has a wide T dial.
You cannot rule out anomalies without investigation for a vintage Speedmaster, and don't believe everything you read!
The wide T dial simply did not exist in the double bevel caseback/pressure fit pusher era.
It only started appearing in 1967, mid way into the 105.012-66 reference’s run.
If you have a 105.012-65 with a wide spaced T dial I am sorry to say that you also own an “Assembled watch” that is incorrect.
Just playing devils advocate but how do you know that your watch is a -65? It could be a -66 with a caseback swap, assuming it otherwise checks out as a 105. That would also explain your serial but he consistant with MWO and Sp101. As noted above, the extract doesn’t mention the year iteration.
Well, now that I've slept it off, I'm definitely still appreciative of all the discussion here, and the opinions too.
I hope I wasn't too obnoxious of my Franken comments, but I too see it as a bit pejorative (although that was better said by @airansun). As a newcomer, my main goal is to try to remain humble while I try to soak up as much info here as possible to make my own educated guesses about my own watch and appreciate the mechanics enough to possibly give something to my children to enjoy if they want. Understanding that the dial isn't the same vintage absolutely helps with that, and my stating earlier that the -65 had the wide spaced T only comes from the new Moonwatch book:
My purpose here is definitely not to get into the weeds over the terms "Franken" or "Assembled" either, although I would be intrigued to know if I found the correct vintage of dial & chrono, if the piece would still be considered Franken to some.
When I made the original post, I already knew one of the parts wasn't original, and now I know another isn't either - that's really helpful!!
Coming from the world of computers (and maybe cars too), I'm guess I'm also learning I'm less concerned about whether the watch has replacement parts (I would expect that over 50+ years, there may be parts that didn't survive), and more concerned that they look or are parts from Omega, and that from a practical point of view, they'll last me and the watch for years to come.
I hope that also helps put a perspective on what I'm looking for from the watch, and that my enjoyment might be a little different than say, @ndgal's it seems.
And even though I'm new here, I hope that's okay too!
Look, I love the Moonwatch Only book just as much as anybody else on this forum.
I also own the latest edition of the book and it is great!
Over the years, I have learned a ton from this book. But I was also able to make further observations that are not covered by the book based on my personal experience collecting (first and foremost) and buying & selling.
There are actually some sections of the book that are (surprisingly) extremely lacking of correct information.
Nobody is perfect, neither me or the book.
I have actually shared some of them over the years on this forum.
I was just wondering why you're claiming that others are wrong here and there without pointing out where exactly? This would be a chance for you to let others have profit of your gained experiences.
Look, I love the Moonwatch Only book just as much as anybody else on this forum.
I also own the latest edition of the book and it is great!
Over the years, I have learned a ton from this book. But I was also able to make further observations that are not covered by the book based on my personal experience collecting (first and foremost) and buying & selling.
There are actually some sections of the book that are (surprisingly) extremely lacking of correct information.
Nobody is perfect, neither me or the book.
I was referring to these general statements and I'm convinced you could share a lot of knowledge apart from statements to the wide-spaced-T's on the 64 reference.
It sounds like you'd like him to write another book and post it here for free. If you have a specific question, just ask.
