Omega Speedmaster 145.022-69 SW on an auction!

Dan S

I don't generally see much point in discussing these unappealing watches

Fallout Boy

@Dan S can you please post more details on #2 and 3 ? (model/year)

Laneside

Thank you again Hansaboy. Not all watches can be collector grade.
The price was about right for the watch considering there was no bracelet.

ibis888

I find these discussions interesting and informative. Thanks for postings.

M'Bob

I think that the discussion of watches that are both appealing and unappealing can be of great value for a newcomer who is interested in learning more details about what more experienced collectors look for, and shy away from.

Davidt

I know not everyone agrees, but I find the 'mint green' lume, often seen on the -69's onwards unappealing. It generally looks very flat and dull and has little character when compared to the nice 'custard yellow' lume found on good 60's examples and to a lesser degree, some good 70's Speedmasters.

Dan S

The watch is a mess, not interesting, and not appealing. For me, only the Apollo 11 SW variant has any particular interest due to rarity. I don't find the ordinary SW examples to be particularly special.

I don't generally see much point in discussing these unappealing watches, but if you want to post auctions of ugly Speedmasters, I think these three are more interesting for various reasons. I wasn't interested enough to bid on any of them. The 2915 and 105.003 could potentially have useful parts or be restored. And the 105.012 could potentially be appealing enough to wear, if you don't mind a little lume loss. And it had a decent bracelet.

$10.5k USD

$7.8k

$4.9k

Ron_W

Thanks Hans, for showing another one to us.
I missed or overlooked this one , but € 3500 is good for any "limited' production or special version of a Speedmaster in working condition. I think... eventhough this one does not atract me with these pictures. So you are right, why does the auction house not present it better ? Maybe they dont have special watches often ?
I even think from picture number 5 that there is almost no lume left on the markers ?

Davidt

Obviously most people will say yes at €1k.

I will say though, from experience, it’s worth considering what other costs will end up being added on. The obvious one is service cost, if you decide to go that route, along with possibly spare parts. However, one that is often overlooked is the time cost.

I’ve always got a number of watches from various brands in various watch lists of mine and fairly frequently, an auction will be coming to an end and I’ll think “I’m not really looking for this reference right now, but I can’t let it sell for that price, I’ll throw a bid in”. Occasionally I’ll win and when the watch arrives it’s fine, often slightly better than I expected.
But then, I don’t really want to pay to get it serviced as it’s not one I had a real yearning for and isn’t one I’ll wear very often. It then sits in my box for a few weeks/months/years before I decide, “I’ll just sell this one”.
Then comes the various photo shoots to get some decent pictures. Almost always the first ones aren’t very good due to lighting so I’ll wait for a clear day and some afternoon sun which works well in my kitchen.
Then write a description that’s not too long and rambling but gives a good, honest overview of the watch.
Then comes the inevitable low balls, tyre kickers and scam offers that are a pain in the arse to sift through, before someone offers a reasonable amount and we go ahead.

So now I always try to think “do I want this watch?” Never mind price or anything else, “do I want it?”. Regardless of price, if the answers no, I generally don’t bid.

Dan S

People often use lower-end auction houses to offload watches with some issues, so I keep this in mind when bidding. I would say that the majority of watches I've purchased in auctions end up being honest watches with potential, but need some TLC. When I buy a watch from another collector, it may not have been serviced, but it generally doesn't have major flaws that need to be addressed.

Davidt

Obviously most people will say yes at €1k.

I will say though, from experience, it’s worth considering what other costs will end up being added on. The obvious one is service cost, if you decide to go that route, along with possibly spare parts. However, one that is often overlooked is the time cost.

I’ve always got a number of watches from various brands in various watch lists of mine and fairly frequently, an auction will be coming to an end and I’ll think “I’m not really looking for this reference right now, but I can’t let it sell for that price, I’ll throw a bid in”. Occasionally I’ll win and when the watch arrives it’s fine, often slightly better than I expected.
But then, I don’t really want to pay to get it serviced as it’s not one I had a real yearning for and isn’t one I’ll wear very often. It then sits in my box for a few weeks/months/years before I decide, “I’ll just sell this one”.
Then comes the various photo shoots to get some decent pictures. Almost always the first ones aren’t very good due to lighting so I’ll wait for a clear day and some afternoon sun which works well in my kitchen.
Then write a description that’s not too long and rambling but gives a good, honest overview of the watch.
Then comes the inevitable low balls, tyre kickers and scam offers that are a pain in the arse to sift through, before someone offers a reasonable amount and we go ahead.

So now I always try to think “do I want this watch?” Never mind price or anything else, “do I want it?”. Regardless of price, if the answers no, I generally don’t bid.