Hi all,
My grandfather passed right at one year ago. When visiting my grandmother over the Thanksgiving holiday, she told me she had recently found some of his old watches (knowing I collect them) and then pulled out a box with about 5 in there. This Speedy was in there and she gifted it to me to keep it in the family.

There is a long family story behind this watch that I won’t bore you with. My questions are these:

Any idea which reference it is? (I am thinking it is a 145.012 based on limited research)

I want to get it cleaned and serviced (NOT restored!) and plan to wear it - any recommendations for a good Omega watchmaker in the Dallas area?

Also, how do I go about sourcing a period-correct bracelet for it? I am in the process of getting some NATOs for it, but would like to eventually have an original bracelet to wear it on as well.

Thanks!

Jason

 

Hey Jason,

Sad to hear of your grandfathers passing, however he had great taste in watches! Get it up and running and wear it in good health. For a watch that may have been a daily wearer it is in very good condition.

Any other interesting finds in the other 4 watches?

Cheers,
Ed

 

Ed,
There was a fake Rolex President, a brand I didn’t recognize, a Pulsar that didn’t work, and an 80’s electronic watch. I felt bad just receiving the Omega, so it was all I asked for. He used to be a private pilot and he wore the Speedy whenever he flew. Some of my most cherished childhood memories are flying around with him. Needless to say, the watch is invaluable to me.

 

Without knowing your watch knowledge, you might want to go back and double check that one with your grandmother. There are many brands that an average person would not recognize that can be very valuable. These brands sometimes end up being donated to places like Goodwill and such without a clue from the person donating it on how much they just gave away. Or, if you can remember the brand name let us know what it is and we can let you know. There are several members from Texas on here, that can probably recommend a watchmaker. If you post some more pics of the Speedy (front, case back, sides, and bracelet) you will get more help. When you find a watchmaker, they can remove the case back and then you will have your answers.

 

It goes without saying don’t have Omega service it.

 

Same thing happened to me this past spring, you're gonna love wearing it!

First thing I learned was patience, it's probably going to be a few months before she's all nice and cleaned up.
Find some qualified watchmakers in your area and visit their shops, talk with them a little, you'll know it when you find the right one. The other option would be to ship it, theres a few Speedy specialists on here, I believe Archer is up in Canada.

Would need more pics and/or a partial serial or extract to really determine what model. It has C1 Drop Baton hands (correct for either 105 or 145), I think it's the original 60s type A1 glass, pushers look like the wide and tall type (correct on a 145). The case looks nice, lines seem pretty sharp, I'd leave it be, there's a story behind each of those scratches. Like me you lucked out with a pretty nice DoN... if you haven't already found out, there's serious cash in that bezel.

Be careful with the NATOs, they can really accelerate wear on the caseback. A correct bracelet is going the be really expensive. Personally what I did was purchase a 1171/633 bracelet (70s - 80s period) from a member on here (just watch the 'parts' forum), and had a nice leather strap made for it, I switch between the two.

Congrats on an awesome find, and trust me, you'll love wearing a part of your family's history!

 

Lovely watch! It wil clean up nicely.

About the story, if it's not too personal, share it. We love the stories behind these little old machines!

 

Ya know, I hadn’t considered the wear on the caseback from the NATOs. Thanks!

 

It’s not personal in a private nature. I’ll gladly share it when I can type it out on my laptop instead of my phone!

Jason

 

I have been warned by no less than a dozen or so afficianados on another forum! Hence my request for a local, trustworthy, watchmaker in Dallas.

Jason

 

Or try and open case with a hammer and screw driver.

Maybe try it on a distressed leather strap.

 

Noooooooooo!!!! Tell me someone has not tried that...

 

Yes, and this was just a week or two ago.

https://omegaforums.net/threads/fou...fter-almost-50-years.67006/page-2#post-842357

 

I can’t look.

 

Just dropped it off to get cleaned and serviced. Managed to snap a movement shot before having to take off. Here is what we discovered:

Ref 145-022-68
1968 model
861 calibre

Jason

 

A transitional! Excellent. Rare model.

http://speedmaster101.com/145-022-transitional/

 

Yeah that was me.... Sorry for the nightmares.

 

A question. The watchmaker recommended replacing the crown and both pushers to restore water seals. Is this a common practice? Would it damage the historical value by doing so?

Jason

 

This may be a matter of preference for some, but I prefer keeping original crown and pushers unless they are badly damaged. I live a somewhat humid climate and have never had any issues with moisture appearing on inside of crystal. Also, I am very careful to never expose my watches to direct water while washing hands etc. If you choose to replace crown/pushers hang onto the originals.

 

Would you not be able to simply replace the gaskets to restore water seal? I will not swim with the watch (let alone dive!), I am only concerned about being able to wash my hands with the watch on and not having any issues with doing so.

Jason