This one watch in my collection, I’ve come to realize, marks the transition I’ve been through in collecting Speedmasters. It’s an accidental assembly, so to speak, and I’m very fond of it.



Some time ago, it seems like ages, I resumed my old pastime of picking up watches. For a while, it was a few limited edition Speedmasters. After some hesitation, I finally made the plunge and got my first 321 Speedmaster, a very clean 145.012-67. But, given the parts availability issues with 321 movements, I decided to buy just a 321 movement to keep for parts.

I found this one on eBay, accompanied by an Extract, already serviced and running.



Of course, I wanted to have my own watchmaker look it over. While I was at it, I decided that the movement would be better off inside a case rather than just sitting loose in a box. So, I dug out a spare modern Speedmaster Professional case, complete with a service luminova Ed White dial and hands that I scored on eBay, and brought it all to my watchmaker. I had him take off the modern bezel and put on a spare DON that was not good enough for the watch it originally came with.

I was quite pleased with this assembly as I liked having one vintage Speedmaster that I could read in the dark. There are no photos of the watch in this state, even though I take hundreds of photos of my watches. Despite its utility, I wasn’t proud of it. I wore it many nights. The movement keeps very good time, btw.

Some time later, I came across an Ed White mid case for sale. I got it intending to upgrade another piece, but never followed through.

And this marked a big change for me.

I’d started collecting some less-than-correct vintage Speedmasters intending to ‘improve’ them with better/correct dials, hands, mid bands or casebacks. The theory being that I could accumulate a collection of really nice pieces less expensively. Of course, as we all discover, this is frequently terribly misguided. Apart from all the unknowns of whether stuff will actually work together, it invariably turns out to be more expensive than expected. And, put-together rarely looks as nice as left-the-factory-together.

But, the big thing was: I’d lost the heart to take apart these watches to make them ‘better’. It didn’t feel right. I mean, I was still willing to upgrade bezels and put correct crowns back on them, but I couldn’t bring myself to do more any more invasive changes.

An example: I have a 105.012-66 CB that has a wonderful case, but luminova service dial and hands and service pushers from an official Omega service. I bought it on eBay for $5.5k, knowing these flaws and planning to fix them. I have the correct dial and tritium hands; I even have correct NOS pushers. But I still haven’t had the work done. It’s become a second nighttime watch instead.



So, anyway, because I love Eds much more than Professionals, I decided to put the spare movement in the Ed White midcase and throw a spare 105.003-65 caseback on it. I completed it with a 1125 bracelet.

I still rarely photograph it. I wear it more often than any other single Speedmaster I own because I treat it as a beater.




I did not intend to create a franken and I don’t think of it that way. I accidentally put together a piece that turned out to be very useful to me, and much beloved.

I know I’m not the only one of us who has an accidental piece, originally put together just to keep some spares from disappearing.

Maybe, someday, I will correct the CB after all...

 

Nothing wrong with putting together something functional with official service parts. So it's not "collectable", so what? Watches were made to be used.

 

I have more love towards quirky watches like this, that get used - than an untouched, wrapped up watch in a safe.

Watches don’t have to be limited quantity perfection to be considered worthy of collecting/using.

you probably get more enjoyment out of this than most others with vintage pieces.

 

I went through a similar path in my early days of collecting as well. Always thinking that sum of the parts will be greater than the parts itself. While it’s always the hunt that gives this hobby the thrill, the exhilaration started wearing off as I yearned original and complete set watches.

Those watches have long left my collection as has the desire in chasing parts from all over the world to make that one last piece complete. The stories those watches told were great, but too painful and time consuming to sustain.

Your EW look fantastic, and frankly would rather own this than the re-edition.

Keep chasing my friend....