Hello folks,

I have been doing some homework about a watch I found for sale but I would still need some help from professional collectors to see if it's a good deal or not...

There's a newly serviced 145.012 watch for sale around here but there are some details about it I would need some advice about.

First some pictures :



So correct me here if I'm mistaken but I tried to analyze the watch with my humble knowledge and here are my conclusion :
- Bezel has been replaced, it's not a DON bezel as it's supposed to be
- The dial has a correct Omega logo applied, not printed, but has only the "swiss made" and not the "T swiss made T"
- Bracelet looks like a 1171, not a 1039 or 1116 as it's supposed to be
- Second hand looks the original one, the other hands have tritium bars (new ones I would say)
- Pushers and crown seems to have been replaced during the service as well
- According to the Omega service (total of 1450$) they replaced the case...




The seller is currently asking 6300$ for the watch but is open to discussion.

What do you think about that ? Looks like a lot of things have been replaced on the watch. But the movement is a 321, hands are correct, it was polished, the glass seems to have been replaced as well...

So not many original parts left on the watch. The question is, for the price, is it a good one or not ?

Thanks very much for your inputs, it would be truly appreciated.

 

Service dial, service hands, service pushers, probably service crown, wrong bezel.
I would strongly suggest looking elsewhere.

 

Yeah so it looks like apart from the movement you get a 2019 watch... better buy a 2019 new speedie then.

 

Ouch. Everything that once contributed to the character of this watch is now gone.

The dial, hands, bezel, bracelet and presumably pushers and crown are service replacements.

Have you got a picture of inside the caseback? I'm even wondering if the case and back were replaced.

 

Yeah, the seller paid 700 CHF for the new case.

 

With everything that has been swapped out, you might as well buy yourself a new one and save some money. Not a good deal.

 

Normally Omega returns the old parts along with the serviced watch - have you asked the seller about this?

 

This is the only way this watch would be worth the asking price. While I "get" why Omega does this, I still think it is highly irresponsible of them doing this to vintage watches. This is like taking an 427 Cobra engine and putting it in a brand new body. It may look nice, but its not a Shelby.

 

This should be part of a sticky entitled: Want to See a Magic Show or How to turn an $8000 watch into a $4000 watch.

 

Those who are familiar with the show “Only fools and Horses” .....this makes me think about Triggers broom.

Those who are not familiar then you are missing something in your life

 

Sadly nothing vintage about the watch. I agree with others that it is better to buy a new piece - comes in full set and warranty too.

 

Absolutely nothing in this watch anymore, if Omega did not return the original parts of the watch back from service? Please check this first. A hard pass on this one otherwise, this ones soul is no more...

 

It's all sevice parts as well as the 633 is a newer laser edged one. I think the 1171(/1) as well. So it is compareable with a Watchco SM 300 witch sells between € 2.400 an € 2.800,00. 321 is nice but you get a new Speedmaster with 1861 for little more than € 3.000,00. To me the price seems about 2-3.000,00 to high..

 

I don't think that anyone on OF would buy this.

 

The only thing vintage about this Speedy is the movement.

 

It is worth about $3,000 to $4,000.

There is a market for them, but that is the price, and they are not a vintage watch.

Essentially a new watch with a vintage movement. As I say, it has its followers.

All these people blowing their nuts over Omega's new Stainless case 321 remake should take note.

Arguably this might have more appeal in 10 years than the remake.

 

This is actually a really good point.

Plus I'm pretty sure that the new 321 based model is going to cost at least as much as this, if many thousands more (my bet is on the latter).

 

This watch has been already been discussed here: https://omegaforums.net/threads/thoughts-on-a-145-012-with-all-modern-service-parts.90111
This seller has quite often that kind of „serviced“ watches for sale.

Edit: Fixed link

 

Yes. Triggers broom. It actually raises an interesting point about when does an object (a watch) cease to be the original object (Theseus theorem). Most of us tolerate some replacement parts but when everything other than the movement is changed it goes too far.The question is at what point is the watch still original?

 

Or the USS Constitution. The only original part left is a piece of the keel.