-ish, the worst functioning Speedmaster Professional (moonwatch) in your collection

Edit: updated, I stumbled on a FOIS that fit nicely with what I was looking for. Thanks to those who reached out with helpful tips and ideas on where to search. Very much appreciated!

Original Post:
Simply put I can't afford to shell out big money on a Speedy right now but I have a strong desire to own one. So instead of hoping I stumble on something at an estate sale or flee market, I'm curious if any members have a spare Speedy laying around that they might want to part with.

It's okay if the watch has lived a hard life, all bumps and bruises will be considered 😀

Preferences/Must Haves:
Running - I'd prefer not to service the watch in the next 3 years though I understand that no one can guarantee that
Little to no polishing of the case - I'd prefer a case with original lines and brushing but if it's been cleaned up a little it may not be a deal breaker
As original as possible - service hands/dial/crown/pushers/bezel are okay as long as they're appropriate for the watch
70's/80's/early 90's would probably be my preference but beggars can't be choosers

I'm based in the US so shipping and customs fees may play into any decisions made.

I know this is a strange WTB thread, and I know the recommendation is usually to save and spend money on the best watch you can afford but I'm hoping someone might have something they're willing to part with that I won't have to pay top dollar for.

In the last 2 months or so I've watched:
- The Right Stuff
- Apollo 11 (CNN)
- First Man
- Apollo 13
- From Earth To The Moon (HBO)
- For All Man Kind (apple)

I'd like to re-watch these while wearing a moonwatch....

You want to buy the “worst functioning Speedmaster Moonwatch” from someone’s collection. The idea being that someone will give you a “deal” on it. And you say that you “prefer not to service the watch for three years”. And that you want to have a Speedmaster to wear when you watch your favourite space movies, I am not able to help you, but I shall be watching this thread with great interest to see what comes of your request. Best of luck!

Just a thought, but you may save on all-in costs if you find someone with a speedy needing service. Seems more likely you will get a better deal on something if you are removing someone’s headache.

good luck!

@Canuck It's certainly an out of the box approach I know. It's not that I'm looking for "a good deal" it's more that I'm looking for a watch that fits my budget that others may not think is good enough to sell on these forums. I'm sure there are members here with a few Speedmasters collecting dust, sitting around thinking to themselves, not really Omega Forums material, I'll just post it on FB Marketplace or Ebay.

@Scooterino36 A valid point!

Bingo! If @perks713 budget is $1,500 or $2,000 he isn't likely to be successful here. If it's $3,500-$4,000 he might be better positioned, no one is going to give a Speedmaster away, we know what the values are.

No one is asking anyone to give anything away. Thanks.

Really? Reread your initial post, my distinct impression is you are looking for a good deal from an OF member who has a spare one or two laying around who is willing to let it go at a bargain (below market) price to another OF member. Maybe I'm misreading your original post. In any event a budget range for said Speedy would be helpful.

@Evitzee I have re-read my initial post several times since posting it a month ago. I'm sorry if you feel like I'm looking for someone to hand me a watch but that's not the case.

I'm not necessarily looking for someone's prime example of a Speedmaster. Something that's been beat up over the years might be fine. I am looking for something that would be original-ish, meaning period correct service parts are fine.

I'm not looking to pay top dollar because I'm not looking for the watch that's been tucked away in someone's safe for 25 years.

I also mentioned in a follow up post that I'm sure plenty of members sell watches on sites other than Omega Forums. This site tends to have the best of the best listed, so I put out a WTB hoping that someone looking to sell a well loved Speedmaster might see it and reach out before heading to Ebay or FB or Reddit or any of the other places people sell things.

As to my budget, that number will change over time. Some times higher some times lower, you never know what life will throw at you.

I don’t see anything wrong with this approach I find it commendable. I’m looking for an extra lightly used fifty fathoms no radiation LE. My budget is 2.50. Full set please. Thanks.

I’ll keep an eye out if I ever get back to Canal Street 😉

https://omegaforums.net/threads/speedmaster-145-022-76-with-service-and-eoa-3950.137266/

This is not a comment about it being in poor condition but rather, this might be as good as it gets for you price wise.

My thoughts exactly. Don't know what price range the OP is looking for but this example is a nicely used and aged Speedmaster at a fair price.

^^ about as good as it gets for the money. And fully serviced which saves you $800 right there. We only get a handful of sub $4k speedys a year, it’s nice to see them when they pop up- still attainable.

@perks713 - I see the logic in your approach. I remember seeing a member here not long ago post a speedy that had service hands and dial, wrong pushers, movement was from a different era- basically a put-together speedy, but it was attractive and they sold it honestly described and cheaply (under $3k if I recall, basically the sum of the parts). If that is an appealing approach to getting into a speedy, then perhaps there are of some of those lingering in peoples collections.