Hi, lurker looking for advice concerning a Speedy. Found this on a norwegian site, but while I think the seller is legit, there is a couple of things that makes me wonder. The serials and looks of some of the parts don't add up. I've read the speedmaster101.com bying guide, and browsed a few of the threads here as well. According to the seller this is a .861, nr 25000891, case 145.022. From 67 or 68. Serviced, and working nicely. He says the glass, crown, bezel and caseback has been changed. The "new" caseback is previously used on another Speedy. I used this as a reference for the serials and case numbers: http://chronomaddox.com/romans.html (and yes, I know these aren't always 100% accurate) My main concerns are as follows: 1. According to the chart the 25xxxxxx-series should be .321 movements. They are seldom found with the 145.022 case this watch is supposed to have. 2. On 145.022s there is supposed to be "T"-marks on both sides of "swiss made" on the dial. In addition the dials looks pretty new? 3. At least next to the bezel, which he claims has been changed? 4. The caseback is from a newer watch? Ca. 1970s? He's asking 2800$, which to me seems a bit much. That being said, I'm mainly interested in a working, serviced, good-looking Speedy. I'm not *that* conserned about everything adding up, as long as the price is right. I guess what I'm asking for is; would you buy this watch? And if so; at what price? Thanks a lot.
The caseback is certainly from a newer watch since it would have been hard to claim that it was the first watch worn on the moon when we hadn't even been to the moon yet. Given the inexact nature of movement dating, I wouldn't doubt it's possible that an 861 had a 25xxxxxx serial number. 68 was a transitional year for the case, too, so it's quite possible a 68 had a .022 case. Take all this with a grain of salt until one of the experts chimes in.
I would not. Movement aside, that is definitely a new dial, and the bezel looks questionable to me - the font is off and the long hashes look too long (is this the 'aftermarket' part indicated in the list?). And that's to my amateur eyes, no doubt a professional can pick up more oddities. As per the forum's regular advice, I would suggest contacting George (Kringkily) if you're looking for a speedy, the man can set you up good and you'll have peace of mind.
If the movement is actually from '68, the rest of the parts are not. The dial appears to be a modern service replacement, thus no T's, bezel is a modern replacement, caseback is from '71 or later, hands could be original, but it's tough tell what original is for this watch. A '68 145.022 should be a "transitional" http://speedmaster101.com/145-022-transitional/ and all of the attributes that make the transitionals special are missing from this piece. IMO, if you're drawn to the looks of this watch, you'd be better off buying a later (newer) 145.022 with a clearer/cleaner history and probably save some money in the process.