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Minty vintage Speedmaster dilemma - wear or preserve?

Edwinowl
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That's lovely I'd wear it but sparingly. There. Best of both worlds then.
 
cvrle1
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If it was a mint 105.003 or something like that I would probably go different way, but for this one, wear it and dont worry about it. Price of speedies is going up higher than the amount you would lose for a scratch or a scuff from wearing it.I wear my -69 few times a week and dont have any worries about it.
 
2nastie
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I would also say it depends on if you have another speedy? Haha, if its your only one wear it with pride. If you have another speedy you are accustomed to wearing... save this one cause its really shiny!! 😁
 
S
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Decisions, decisions........... Do whatever feels right. Very hard to enjoy if it sits in a drawer.
 
tyrantlizardrex
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S Sculler22
Decisions, decisions........... Do whatever feels right. Very hard to enjoy if it sits in a drawer.

Unless it's a big drawer... and you can get in there with it... ☕
 
levkov
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That's exactly why I prefer buying second hand watches with at least few knocks and scratches.. Lovely piece though, congrats! [emoji106]
 
onthedial
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@coronado
This particular Speedmaster is not vintage, so even though it's in terrific condition and it has it's original housing, I wouldn't have any concerns about wearing it, constantly. If the fear of wearing it outweighs the pleasure you should be feeling, then I would sell the watch (finding a buyer will be easy) and purchase a robust cal. 861 1969-71 era 145.022, one that's in good working condition but has seen some "life."
 
abrod520
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onthedial onthedial
This particular Speedmaster is not vintage

It's nearly 40 years old, and its particular design details have long been out of production. It's vintage
 
onthedial
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abrod520 abrod520
It's nearly 40 years old, and its particular design details have long been out of production. It's vintage
@abrod520
Your criteria is certainly rational. If I were to side with you here, in order to avoid argument, I would have no hesitation whatsoever in wearing this particular "vintage" watch.
 
R3D9
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Had you paid full-pop for it, I'd think twice about wearing it much, as any significant damage would mean you actually be losing some of your investment.

Since It sounds like you didn't pay the collector's price, I say wear the living heck out of it!!! Congrats!
 
abrod520
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onthedial onthedial
@abrod520
Your criteria is certainly rational. If I were to side with you here, in order to avoid argument, I would have no hesitation whatsoever in wearing this particular "vintage" watch.

I wouldn't either, in fact as the first person to reply on this thread I said the same 😉 Whether it's vintage or brand-new, I think it should be worn except in a very select few cases (stickers on the case, for instance)

For the sake of discussion, what makes you say that this 145.022-78 is not vintage though?
 
shaun hk
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onthedial onthedial
@coronado
This particular Speedmaster is not vintage, so even though it's in terrific condition and it has it's original housing, I wouldn't have any concerns about wearing it, constantly. If the fear of wearing it outweighs the pleasure you should be feeling, then I would sell the watch (finding a buyer will be easy) and purchase a robust cal. 861 1969-71 era 145.022, one that's in good working condition but has seen some "life."
So, what is your definition of vintage? Something I'm always intrigued by as pretty much everyone has their own interpretation.
Cheers,
 
harrymai86
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Wear it but occasionally only 😀 not in a harmful environment
 
nonuffinkbloke
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S Sculler22
Would have to be a compartment in a morgue, no thanks!
Oh that's no worry... you should be fine wearing a Speedy in the morgue draw

"NASA Tests
After a long and intensive test period the Speedmaster became the exclusive wristwatch for astronauts in 1965.

  1. High temperature test: 70° C for 48 hours, then 93° C for 30 minutes in a partial vacuum.
  2. Low temperature test: -18° C for 4 hours..." (partial quote)
I think the crematorium might make a bo*#@cks of it though???::rimshot::
Edited:
 
onthedial
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shaun hk shaun hk
So, what is your definition of vintage? Something I'm always intrigued by as pretty much everyone has their own interpretation.
Cheers,
So, true...the discussion about "what is" can be both maddening and intriguing!
My day job is in the art world so the biases I bring to defining vintage are somewhat bound up in my everyday work environment. "Vintage" to me has to have some tangible connection to value. The fact that X is "old" doesn't make X valuable. We give value to things that are rare, that have some historical significance, that have in their material nature something that is inherently valuable (like a precious metal). There are other things to be sure, but that's a starting point for me. I also look to see how close something is to it's original form.
Anyway, I have discussions like this with my watch collector friends quite often and it's inevitably a lively and enriching conversation.
Lastly, for what it's worth, I'd define the OP's watch as a "classic" as opposed to a (valuable) vintage watch. Again, this is only my humble opinion.
 
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