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Mk2 hands on Speedmaster 69st?

Dms5150
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Hi there, recently picked up a lovely 69st (1971), but the hour hand is a hand from a MK2 speedy with the shorter lume.

Interesting thing is the patina and tritium age match to the watch, so if it was a service replacement it would have to be very early.

Has anyone else seen this before? Is it possible a few came like this from the factory? Have seen this on 2-3 other speedys.

My guess is service replacement but wanted to check with the forum in case.
 
20210104_135811.jpg
zwjk
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I guess no one really knows, but I doubt the MK2 hand came from the factory.

Prior to Speedmasters (or any other watch really) becoming collectible, no one really cared about values etc. so I would imagine the hand might have been replaced during routine service. As long as the watch functioned back then, it was fine to have a hand from another model 馃槈
 
kov
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zwjk zwjk
Prior to Speedmasters (or any other watch really) becoming collectible, no one really cared about values etc. so I would imagine the hand might have been replaced during routine service. As long as the watch functioned back then, it was fine to have a hand from another model 馃槈

Exactly this. Same caliber, compatible hand, similar size, color and shape -> bingo.

Moreover, 9 people out of 10, will even not notice that the lume track is shorter...
 
aleksejeremeev
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I'm surprised at your powers of observation. In fact, I checked my old photos there the watch hand is different.
 
Davidt
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I think it's simply a case of mk2 hands being more available in the 70's as it was more fashionable, so these hands occasionally made their way onto normal Speedmasters during a service.

I've had a -69 arrive in the past with mk4 hands.
 
Dms5150
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Thanks for the thoughts everyone. Going in for a service soon with Lewis Watch Co soon so I'll get it replaced then!
 
Dms5150
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aleksejeremeev aleksejeremeev
I'm surprised at your powers of observation. In fact, I checked my old photos there the watch hand is different.
Embarrassingly, I have the Moonwatch Only book and didn't see it. Its taken wearing it 3 weeks to notice!
 
kov
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Dms5150 Dms5150
Thanks for the thoughts everyone. Going in for a service soon with Lewis Watch Co soon so I'll get it replaced then!

If you need a tritium hour hand, shoot me a PM. I am not sure that Lewis Watch Co will replace your hand with anything else than the current superluminova hand...

Dms5150 Dms5150
Embarrassingly, I have the Moonwatch Only book and didn't see it. Its taken wearing it 3 weeks to notice!

It takes a lot of time to get your eye to check the right things and to spot the differences. No worries, you'll get there if you're really interested ;-)
 
zwjk
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kov kov
If you need a tritium hour hand, shoot me a PM. I am not sure that Lewis Watch Co will replace your hand with anything else than the current superluminova hand...

He will use a superluminova hand, but will age and relume it to match the other hands. The only catch I found is that his lume mix glows under UV, and I鈥檝e found that most hands on -69 do not glow anymore.

Source: he just relumed a hand for me!
 
Dms5150
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kov kov
If you need a tritium hour hand, shoot me a PM. I am not sure that Lewis Watch Co will replace your hand with anything else than the current superluminova hand... /

Thanks for the offer. I'll check in with him, but I think he uses a mixture similar to the original tritium and matches the colour and patina of the other hands. Pretty amazing work. He documents it here on the forum:

https://omegaforums.net/threads/the-second-deadly-sin-of-the-watch-restorer-reluming-ed-white-content.56502
 
Dms5150
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zwjk zwjk
He will use a superluminova hand, but will age and relume it to match the other hands. The only catch I found is that his lume mix glows under UV, and I鈥檝e found that most hands on -69 do not glow anymore.

Source: he just relumed a hand for me!

Yes that happened with my 3592.50; the relumed section he did glowed a little stronger. Some of his latest work is really awesome, even matching the yellowing of the hand itself, and the black edges around the older lume.
 
kov
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zwjk zwjk
most hands on -69 do not glow anymore.

I cannot agree with that. They should glow. A lot of them are dirty and they don't glow beause there's dirt on top of the luminous material but the lume should glow under UV or after exposure to a vivid light.
 
kov
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Dms5150 Dms5150
Yes that happened with my 3592.50; the relumed section he did glowed a little stronger. Some of his latest work is really awesome, even matching the yellowing of the hand itself, and the black edges around the older lume.

Didn't know he's doing that. Perfect - the most important is that you like the outcome and are happy with your watch 馃憤
 
zwjk
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kov kov
I cannot agree with that. They should glow. A lot of them are dirty and they don't glow beause there's dirt on top of the luminous material but the lume should glow under UV or after exposure to a vivid light.

I see. I鈥檝e had two which had dirty patina which explains why they don鈥檛 glow. Learn something new everyday, thanks!
 
Dms5150
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zwjk zwjk
I see. I鈥檝e had two which had dirty patina which explains why they don鈥檛 glow. Learn something new everyday, thanks!

FWIW I get about 10 seconds of glow on my dial but only 2 seconds of glow on my hands.
 
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