Omega Speedmaster 145.012-67, 1039/516 Bracelet

Posts
423
Likes
1,056
On offer's an honest, wearable cal 321 Speedmaster. I'd note before the start: everything here is what I know and my understanding of the watch, but *please* feel free to let me know if I'm wrong; like most, I've learned massive amounts from folks here, and I'm always glad to learn when I'm wrong.

CASE: The case has wear but nothing, to me, that's really terrible; there are scuffs and scratches, as you'd expect from a 55 year old watch that was worn regularly by a pilot, but no pitting or rust. I presume the crystal has been replaced, but it's correct and the Omega symbol is visible. The crown has also been replaced, as it should have a flat-foot crown. The DON bezel is in good shape—there are a few spots of paint loss, but it is original and looks correct with the watch. The caseback etching is still visible, though obviously worn. I don't believe the watch has been polished, given the clear bevels and the overall non-tarted-up condition.

DIAL: There are some significant drawbacks to the dial. First, the lume plots have seen a good bit of loss (5-7, 10-12). Further, all the lume plots are a little wobbly and unformed. I bought the watch from the original owner's son-in-law, who obviously didn't know the watch's history, other than that his father-in-law wore it in his job as a pilot. The lume glows briefly and fades uniformly. If it was relumed, it was done a long time ago. The lume seems original to me, as it does to the 2 watchmakers and collectors I've shown the watch to, but I haven't had the watch since new, and I'm not an expert. I have seen other -67s with lume like this, but please come to your own conclusions.

The other big drawback is the paint loss across the bottom half of the dial, stretching from about the 5 marker till 9. I have no idea what caused this; it's visible, and if you're looking for a pristine, collector-grade 145.012, this isn't the one for you. Otherwise the dial is in fine condition—the printing is clearly original, and I can see no major flaws or blemishes on the dial.

HANDS: The lume matches the dial. The hour and chrono lume is complete; the minute hand lume has cracked, and some has fallen out. I believe the hands are all original, but, again, I'm not the original owner.

MOVEMENT: The serial number is correct (25008800) for the reference, and dates the watch to 1967. Everything works very well, and the watch keeps excellent time, with the chronograph starting/stopping/resetting as it should. Caseback markings indicate 2 services—one seemingly from 1976, the other more recent (presumably) but without a date. According to the watchmaker who has looked at this, the oil still looks good, so I'd expect several years of decent service.

BRACELET: The 1039 is stamped from the 1st quarter of 1969. There are 12 links on one side of the buckle, 11 on the other. One of the spring links is loose, but the rest function fine. The 516 end links are functional as well. I have a 7.25" wrist and wear the watch on the second micro-adjust setting.

This seems a fair watch according to Speedmaster101, meaning around $5800 for the head only. Given the bracelet and endlinks, I'd like $7500 net to me. I'm in Indiana/USA, and am happy to work out shipping and payment methods with the buyer. I don't have any sales through OF, but I'm on Instagram (@wescutter), and I'm happy to provide as many references as requested.