This is the one that has knocked out the rest of my Ed Whites, bar a blue, and an inexpensive daily wearer. I got a call one day, from a gentleman living about five hours drive from me. As I explain frequently to my American wife who drives eight or ten hours on US highways without blinking, a UK road trip (with London in between) is as stressful as the first day of Oxford Street Sales. The watch belonged to the sellers father, and had lain untouched for many years. He drove all the way down to meet me, in my bank - I think we were both a bit wary to start with, because this was a lot of money. I can assure you I did not nick it. So we start: Thats a good start. Does it have any more papers? I should Coco! : Its hard to close the box ! The owner kept everything Note the elusive reference to the 145.003 above. He even kept a clipping: Instructions: Time machine anyone? And super important, the original Omega guarantee. This is hand written, and we have all seen the blank booklets on ebay..... so its very nice when the receipt is matching with the name of the owner AND the jeweler: Here it is, almost unworn. Bracelet is tight, and the clasp is stiff. Hardly used. Note in the photo below the straight line that the links make on the left. When people talk about quality, and condition, I also like to know the history. While it is nice to have a flawless watch, very often they are prepared or without any verifiable history, and so open to the idea of a dealer swapping out a few things in his (perfectly reasonable) pursuit of profit. A watch like this is fantastic because we can be almost certain nothing has changed. It had never been serviced, according to Simon Freese who serviced the movement., and so we can be sure of the originality of the dial, hands and bezel. A watch of this quality is rarely seen at auction. Why? Because people like me will over pay a private seller so that the auctions do not stand a chance. They have to estimate it as a 105.003 and that's it. They cannot estimate it for what it is really worth because all the trolls, with no wherewithal to buy, will trash it and put off the buyers. There are very few people who understand this quality, and if they are not bidding the watch will fail to sell, and so its actually not in the auctions interests to have this quality as its risky. Sure, if two of the very small group of people see it and bid, it could go high, but if they are not there, then no one else will bid it to the levels they would. This is a very valuable watch. To me. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but unless you are a buyer with cash in pocket, those value opinions have no foundation. This is a safe queen. I make no apologies. I take it out and look at it and maybe wear it about carefully, then put it away. I show it to friends who sometimes call me crazy. But its my watch, and if I want to keep it in the safe I will, to preserve its attraction so that I can enjoy it for years to come. The other thing about this crazy hobby is that I am sure one of us here has a better one. But this is my one, and I am happy with it. View attachment 800776
Congratulations - if anyone deserves to have an example of this caliber it's you, especially with all your contributions to the community. Very beautiful watch. /Alex.
Definitely worth making room for.. just lovely!! I've never seen THAT many papers kept!! Congratulations!
I must admit to standing in the bank in London, opening it and trying to find flaws or reasons to reduce my offer. None. The papers are nice, but the real value of them is the reasurance of the originality, the way they confirm the history of the watch. Of course thats why people want them, but it is ironic that so many are "marriages" of unrelated boxes papers and watches. After seeing things like this, its sometimes easier to spot those marriages, even if its just a Spidey Sense something is wrong.
Absolutely wonderful... and so nice to see the original receipt, hand written, in pre-decimal UK currency, £59-10s, from Charles Fox. They are my local Omega Boutique. They've been going since 1876 and are still at 21, The Arcade, Bournemouth.
Would love to have seen a heart rate curve through that initial unboxing. Congrats on a stunning piece!
This is like hitting the jackpot! An awesome watch with equally awesome story and provenance. Thanks for sharing!