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moonwatchmoon
·Hi guys,
This is my first post here, introducing myself and my Speedmaster 145.022-69 from 1970 with a 220 Bezel.
A story that has turned me into a detective almost 10 years after I bought it.
I'm from Munich, Germany, and a few years ago I used to go to a local watch fair from time to time. This was before the vintage hype. In other words, the time when you could buy a UG Polerouter or an Orfina Porsche Design for just a few hundred euros. These were penny watches that most people didn’t cared about. But I did and I was for a hunt. You have to imagine this fair as a big flea market for luxury watches, held in the congress hall of a large hotel. It was 2013 and I was strolling past the display cases of the mostly professional dealers. One dealer had all sorts of watches jumbled up in his display. You had to scan all the watches like lego parts in the kids room. Not like most of the others, with their Rolexes, APs or Panerais neatly lined up. I still remember seeing my Speedmaster literally lying under two other watches. Totally scratched and without a strap. Really bad optical condition. The hands had no lume and the mainspring was broken. But at least it was unpolished and in my novice eyes not a Frankenstein. I was able to get it for 1300 Euros, which was really good for a 145.022 in 2013.
As I had already owned a 3570 from 2002 for a short time a few years earlier, which I had also bought in a terrible condition, and after a Service at Omega I was absolutely thrilled with how well they had done it. I was determined to send my new Speedy directly to Omega. At the time, Omega charged only 585 Euros for the Service and made no distinction between years of manufacture. This included the mainspring, gaskets, pushers, crown, crystal and even new hands. And of course, polishing. I thought "wow, what a great deal".
However, I didn't know much about vintage Speedys at the time. During my research I ended up on Chuck Maddox's website. I read a bit about the different references and movements and somehow, I realized that I had the 220 misprint Bezel. But all the details of my watch were not so clear to me at the time.
The Omega dealer who sent my watch to Omega in Geneve opened the case and noted: 145.022-71st. Why did he do that? Because it was written on the inside of the caseback. None of this mattered to me at the time. A few weeks later he called me and told me that Omega would fit my watch with a new bezel at their expense. But I knew, that it was better to leave something like the misprint bezel as it was. But at the time I sadly didn't realize to also keep the original hands, even if they look like a toothless pirate. Anyway.
The watch came back and it just looked great. So beautiful. Even with the new white hands. I loved it. Another little detail that annoys me in retrospect, because I didn't know about it: the extract from the archives. I could have just ordered it at the time, but I didn't know about its existence. And today, unfortunately, Omega no longer offers it. From then on, the watch was a safe queen for years. I also bought a new 1171 bracelet with endlinks. However, the 633 endlinks (with laser engraving) are a bit too wide and had to be filed down to fit. So, the bracelet disappeared into a drawer, till I bought better endlinks.
At some point, I became interested in the watch again and browsed through the now endless number of sites dedicated to vintage Speedys.
I then noticed that the ones with a 220 misprint Bezel offered for sale, always have the hippocampus caseback and are not a 145.022-71, but 145.022-69 references.
OK, the detective in me has been awakened - here's a case(back) to solve!
My watch has the serial number: 3099XXXXXX and according to ilovemyspeedmaster it is a 145.022-69 from Nov 1970.
This was a real surprise for me after more than 10 years. But why do I have the more modern caseback? Everything else about the watch fits and is period correct. During my research I actually found two threads in the internet where owners of a 145.022-69 had a newer caseback like me. Presumably, it was replaced as a service part? After all, it's not unattractive and who cared about the 100% authenticity of a Speedmaster 30/40 years ago, right?
So, this is the story about this poor little thing I found completely neglected and unloved. But now it's with me and I care about her. I've also bought some better NOS 633 endlinks that fits perfectly with the case and the 1171. Here's a tip from me: the bracelet goes in and out a lot easier with 19mm spring bars.
One day I hopefully I'll be able to find a correct backcover for it. Till then, adventure with my Speedy is not over yet. But I'm really enjoying it and it's something very special for me.
This is my first post here, introducing myself and my Speedmaster 145.022-69 from 1970 with a 220 Bezel.
A story that has turned me into a detective almost 10 years after I bought it.
I'm from Munich, Germany, and a few years ago I used to go to a local watch fair from time to time. This was before the vintage hype. In other words, the time when you could buy a UG Polerouter or an Orfina Porsche Design for just a few hundred euros. These were penny watches that most people didn’t cared about. But I did and I was for a hunt. You have to imagine this fair as a big flea market for luxury watches, held in the congress hall of a large hotel. It was 2013 and I was strolling past the display cases of the mostly professional dealers. One dealer had all sorts of watches jumbled up in his display. You had to scan all the watches like lego parts in the kids room. Not like most of the others, with their Rolexes, APs or Panerais neatly lined up. I still remember seeing my Speedmaster literally lying under two other watches. Totally scratched and without a strap. Really bad optical condition. The hands had no lume and the mainspring was broken. But at least it was unpolished and in my novice eyes not a Frankenstein. I was able to get it for 1300 Euros, which was really good for a 145.022 in 2013.
As I had already owned a 3570 from 2002 for a short time a few years earlier, which I had also bought in a terrible condition, and after a Service at Omega I was absolutely thrilled with how well they had done it. I was determined to send my new Speedy directly to Omega. At the time, Omega charged only 585 Euros for the Service and made no distinction between years of manufacture. This included the mainspring, gaskets, pushers, crown, crystal and even new hands. And of course, polishing. I thought "wow, what a great deal".
However, I didn't know much about vintage Speedys at the time. During my research I ended up on Chuck Maddox's website. I read a bit about the different references and movements and somehow, I realized that I had the 220 misprint Bezel. But all the details of my watch were not so clear to me at the time.
The Omega dealer who sent my watch to Omega in Geneve opened the case and noted: 145.022-71st. Why did he do that? Because it was written on the inside of the caseback. None of this mattered to me at the time. A few weeks later he called me and told me that Omega would fit my watch with a new bezel at their expense. But I knew, that it was better to leave something like the misprint bezel as it was. But at the time I sadly didn't realize to also keep the original hands, even if they look like a toothless pirate. Anyway.
The watch came back and it just looked great. So beautiful. Even with the new white hands. I loved it. Another little detail that annoys me in retrospect, because I didn't know about it: the extract from the archives. I could have just ordered it at the time, but I didn't know about its existence. And today, unfortunately, Omega no longer offers it. From then on, the watch was a safe queen for years. I also bought a new 1171 bracelet with endlinks. However, the 633 endlinks (with laser engraving) are a bit too wide and had to be filed down to fit. So, the bracelet disappeared into a drawer, till I bought better endlinks.
At some point, I became interested in the watch again and browsed through the now endless number of sites dedicated to vintage Speedys.
I then noticed that the ones with a 220 misprint Bezel offered for sale, always have the hippocampus caseback and are not a 145.022-71, but 145.022-69 references.
OK, the detective in me has been awakened - here's a case(back) to solve!
My watch has the serial number: 3099XXXXXX and according to ilovemyspeedmaster it is a 145.022-69 from Nov 1970.
This was a real surprise for me after more than 10 years. But why do I have the more modern caseback? Everything else about the watch fits and is period correct. During my research I actually found two threads in the internet where owners of a 145.022-69 had a newer caseback like me. Presumably, it was replaced as a service part? After all, it's not unattractive and who cared about the 100% authenticity of a Speedmaster 30/40 years ago, right?
So, this is the story about this poor little thing I found completely neglected and unloved. But now it's with me and I care about her. I've also bought some better NOS 633 endlinks that fits perfectly with the case and the 1171. Here's a tip from me: the bracelet goes in and out a lot easier with 19mm spring bars.
One day I hopefully I'll be able to find a correct backcover for it. Till then, adventure with my Speedy is not over yet. But I'm really enjoying it and it's something very special for me.
