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NA! Buying a the real Mitsukoshi: a crazy hunt! 🤯

cs_84
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watchstick_81 watchstick_81
Congrats! So you bought it from the Swiss/German Watchoyster? 😊👍🏼
Yes, i did. Nice guy, provided all infos, serial etc. Had it then checked at a omega watchmaker after receipt.

I remember falling in love with the dial couple of years ago and completely forgot about it. When i looked into getting a speedy, i remembered. It‘s somehow special to me as i grew up in Japan as kid.

I think there is no better panda dial for the speedy. As for a white dial, the albino (3593.20) would be nice too..but well.. my watch budget for 2025 is used up.. hope my wife will never see those posts 😂

I love watches, and yes, sometimes it would maybe be better to keep them somewhere safe.. but thats heartbraking.. they are made to be worn 😊
 
watchstick_81
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cs_84 cs_84
Yes, i did. Nice guy, provided all infos, serial etc. Had it then checked at a omega watchmaker after receipt.
Yes he was actually one of the very few dealers who actually took the time to answer questions and provided good service. I’m happy for you!

Ow I believe he called you a swiss collector after I congratulated him on the sale. 😄
 
cs_84
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watchstick_81 watchstick_81
Yes he was actually one of the very few dealers who actually took the time to answer questions and provided good service. I’m happy for you!

Ow I believe he called you a swiss collector after I congratulated him on the sale. 😄
Did you see it vanish from the market and asked him about 😂? Apart from the 2 (US and Australia) on C24, i know of one in HK (legit?). Do you know of others still on the market?

As you said, he was one of the only ones disclosing all infos needed. His price was higher then others, but as he’s in Switzerland, no taxes for me.. so in the end it was ok i think..

The only thing i regret, and i know it‘s a first world problem, is starting my speedy collection with such a piece.
 
watchstick_81
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cs_84 cs_84
Did you see it vanish from the market and asked him about 😂? Apart from the 2 (US and Australia) on C24, i know of one in HK (legit?). Do you know of others still on the market?

As you said, he was one of the only ones disclosing all infos needed. His price was higher then others, but as he’s in Switzerland, no taxes for me.. so in the end it was ok i think..

The only thing i regret, and i know it‘s a first world problem, is starting my speedy collection with such a piece.
Haha indeed! I was keeping track of all offers online and this one was sold out of the blue. So I was also happy for him, as he has been the only one that was very kind and informative.

I think his price was good for the current market value but a bit higher than I could (want to) spend.

I’m not sure if the US offer is legit as they will not share any info or proof of authenticity. I know of that one in HK but same problem. So at the moment the only legit one seems to be in Australia with a private seller. Also very friendly btw.

Great piece to start the Speedy collection! They do not all have to be this expensive.
 
watchstick_81
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This is a strange one too. As a community, we have come a long way in terms of sharing knowledge and general facts. Things were different in 2007. Yesterday, I came across this lot in the 2007 Antiquorum Omegamania catalog. Nothing about it makes sense. It is supposed to be an Italian edition from 1998, but the serial number is from 2005 and the reference is from an Italian Albino Speedmaster.

In short, it is a mod with a Mitsukoshi dial and slipped through the inspection of Omega (?) and the Antiquorum experts. It was sold at the time for 22,420 Swiss francs, which I think was about 14,000 euros at that time. Crazy!

IMG_4153.webp IMG_4155.webp S4GH19~C.webp
 
cs_84
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This is really a strange one 🧐.. nobody realized the many issues with the Lot?

But doesnt surprise me at all somehow.. just check the stories of Perezcope and his issues with well-known auction houses.. i am really shocked..
 
cs_84
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cs_84 cs_84
This is really a strange one 🧐.. nobody realized the many issues with the Lot?

But doesnt surprise me at all somehow.. just check the stories of Perezcope and his issues with well-known auction houses.. i am really shocked..
Also the cataloge mentions two versions for the italian market? So 2x500 pieces? One is the albino and the other, as they say, is this one?
 
watchstick_81
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cs_84 cs_84
This is really a strange one 🧐.. nobody realized the many issues with the Lot?
Different times I guess. The community wasn't as strong back then and perhaps some collectors thought they found a gold mine in those fake Italian models. Chrono24 wasn't really that big back then and certainly didn't keep track of price ranges of each model. Ebay wasn't very clear in price ranges as well. So I guess people just outbid each other and regretted it later on. I read that you get a five year warranty on possible fakes. But this in itself is not fake, but a mod. It's not sold as a Mitsukoshi. So someone was very happy and the buyer certainly not.

Here's the second mashup (Lot 237), based on a BC345.0802 service dial. Serial is not compatible with 1998 either. Not a numbered watch, just a mod. Sold for 24.190 CHF.... 😬
IMG_4172.webp


And the third one (Lot 238) seems to be the Albino and that one appear to be correct. 500 pieces, caseback, Italian market, released in 1997. Strange is the serial, that is way off again, making is 6 to 7 years younger. The reference should be 3593.20 but reference 345.0818 is mentioned on the Omega website: https://www.omegawatches.com/nl-nl/watch-omega-speedmaster-special-italy-st-345-0818-a
IMG_4173.webp


What a mess! I guess these lots -and probably many others- make Omegamania one of the most incorrect auctions. It has that reputation for many years and now I understand. Perhaps @Robert-Jan knows more what happened back then and afterwards.
Edited:
 
cs_84
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watchstick_81 watchstick_81
Different times I guess. The community wasn't as strong back then and perhaps some collectors thought they found a gold mine in those fake Italian models. Chrono24 wasn't really that big back then and certainly didn't keep track of price ranges of each model. Ebay wasn't very clear in price ranges as well. So I guess people just outbid each other and regretted it later on. I read that you get a five year warranty on possible fakes. But this in itself is not fake, but a mod. It's not sold as a Mitsukoshi. So someone was very happy and the buyer certainly not.

Here's the second mashup (Lot 237), based on a BC345.0802 service dial. Serial is not compatible with 1998 either:

And the third one (Lot 238) seems to be the Albino and that one appear to be correct. 500 pieces, caseback, Italian market, released in 1997. The serial is way off again, making is 6 to 7 years younger). The reference should be 3593.20 but reference 345.0818 is mentioned on the Omega website: https://www.omegawatches.com/nl-nl/watch-omega-speedmaster-special-italy-st-345-0818-a

IMG_4173.webp


What a mess! I guess these lots -and probably many others- make Omegamania one of the most incorrect auctions. It has that reputation for many years and now I understand.
True, its mentioned as 345.0818 (a)
And this one as 345.0818 (b)

IMG_3950.webp
 
watchstick_81
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cs_84 cs_84
True, its mentioned as 345.0818 (a)
And this one as 345.0818 (b)

IMG_3950.webp
I guess someone make sure they were legit in the system....While you can't have the same reference numbers and secondly the serial numbers don't come anywhere near the years mentioned.
 
watchstick_81
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Also in this topic: buyers please be aware! Someone mentioned he was was offered a very expensive Mitsukoshi (around 26K euro) with serial 77085527, but this is a regular Moonwatch as well!

cd7fe547-a9ad-4214-ba50-d7394b61cd7e.webp
 
drhex
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Pmed you two known serials. Congrats on the Mitsu, it is a beauty!
 
onborrowedtime
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watchstick_81 watchstick_81
Also in this topic: buyers please be aware! Someone mentioned he was was offered a very expensive Mitsukoshi (around 26K euro) with serial 77085527, but this is a regular Moonwatch as well!

cd7fe547-a9ad-4214-ba50-d7394b61cd7e.webp
Thanks to OP and commenters in this thread for this wealth of information, especially for enthusiasts new to the Speedmaster world.

Would you be open to checking a purported mitsu SN via DM ? Totally understand if you'd not prefer being potentially inundated with similar requests, I just don't have an established relationship with an Omega watchmaker yet.
 
watchstick_81
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onborrowedtime onborrowedtime
Would you be open to checking a purported mitsu SN via DM ? Totally understand if you'd not prefer being potentially inundated with similar requests, I just don't have an established relationship with an Omega watchmaker yet.
Sure, please send me the serial via PM and if it’s legit, I have another one for my database
 
zinterz
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Very much enjoyed reading this thread. Chucking this one into the mix that @DLT222 has for sale: click! As much as I'd love to own it, I simply can't afford to, so I think this would be a good thread for it to be discussed/assessed as necessary if anybody is looking for one.
 
watchstick_81
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zinterz zinterz
Very much enjoyed reading this thread. Chucking this one into the mix that @DLT222 has for sale: click!
Thanks! I’m glad forums member and potential buyers find their way to this topic for more info.

I just wish that every dealer that is selling a (hopefully) real Mitsukoshi Speedmaster would mention in the description that it has an extract or the serial has been checked by Omega. I don’t believe any dealer without that proof anymore.
 
DLT222
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I've had 8 through my hands on the last 3-5 years. I check every single one via Omega.
 
watchstick_81
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DLT222 DLT222
I've had 8 through my hands on the last 3-5 years. I check every single one via Omega.
And they were al legit ones you mean?
 
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