For the last several months I have been wrestling with myself to find a vintage Speedmaster with the right combination of collectability, condition, and price. This weekend, a 145.022-69ST came up for sale locally and I couldn't pass it up. Here's a picture after I picked it up, I will take some more tonight when I get home from work.

It has a nicely faded and quite intact 220 bezel. The case is in very good shape, with what I believe to be the original contours present. It may have been hand polished at some point in the past, but it doesn't appear to have been reshaped or refinished. The hippocampus on the back is a bit soft but still present.

The dial is in excellent condition, with 96% of the original lume present (about 1/4 of the lume has chipped off two of the markers). It has aged to a nice light yellow, with only a touch of discoloration on the 9:00 marker. The dial is otherwise pristine.

The subdial, hour, and minute hands all sport a nice, matching cream color. The chrono seconds hand is a spear-end hand, and seems to be an incorrect service replacement for 145.012 and earlier models. I wonder if it is tritium lumed, though, which would be sort of a neat thing on its own.

The bezel is a little off center, the chrono seconds hand needs to be corrected, and the pushers almost certainly need to be replaced, but so far I love the watch and I wouldn't have done it differently!

 

Congrats! Everything has aged really nicely.

 

Ghost 220 nice!

 

What a nice example, congrats! The bezel is to die for.

 

Thanks guys! I forgot to mention, it has a 305XXXXX serial which ilovemyspeedmaster.com predicts as September 1970. I will probably order an extract eventually. First I need to track down a square end chrono hand and get it serviced.

 

If the spear is tritium, you may find that someone with a square end is happy to swap. Not me I hasten to add.

 

Very nice example, congrats !

 

Nice catch! I wouldnt mind that second hand and if you do swap make sure it has the same off-white hue, finding a color matchied hand I think will be the hardest part.

 

Love it!

 

Very Nice, congrats!

 

DIBS !!!

Super lovely Speedy !

Congrats !

 

Congrats! Looks amazing!

 

Snapped a couple more pics!

 

Very nice bezel, congrats !

 

Awesome. Welcome to 220town

 

Nice pickup and thanks for sharing! Too bad I didn’t see your WTB post earlier. Love the bezel!

 

Good looking watch , enjoy it !

 

beautiful!!!

 

nice vintage looks with congrats. wear it in good health.