Omega Speedmaster 145.022-69 w/DNN, Serviced, $3650

Up for grabs is my 145.022-69 with DNN bezel. Serial #31,313,XXX dates it to 1971. This is among the last of the -69s, which stop with the 31,62X,XXX.

What’s good about this watch:
· Great DNN B2 bezel that turns slightly grey in the sunlight, with only one small chip that I can see (by the ‘T’ in tachymetre’)
· Very clean, beautiful stepped dial with excellent printing and no marks or scratches visible to me. Looks dramatically different in different light, as the pictures suggest.
· Full service in June 2020 by Simon Freese Watchmakers, and running smoothly and beautifully. This watch is really a joy to use, Simon did an amazing job making the pushers and crown operate butter-smooth. No evident chrono creep.

What you should know:
· The dial plots and hands were relumed by James Hyman in October 2020. He did a beautiful job on some tired dark green plots, and gave the dial a really wonderful look in keeping with its age. The new plots were relumed with a small amount of superluminova to give the effect of aged tritium - they luminesce, but fade quite quickly. See lume shot below.
· One new pusher and a new Omega crystal were fitted during my ownership (at World Time in San José, CA, November 2018). Otherwise all parts are original, as far as I’m aware.
· The mid-case has wear. There is a ding at 9:00, scratches between the lower lugs, and pretty much all the surfaces have significant swirls and wabi-sabi from use. The overall shape is great, and the lugs will still cut you. I don’t believe it’s ever been refinished.
· Wear on the caseback matches wear on the case; part of the hippocamp logo and “Speedmaster” is worn off.

This watch is a perfect daily wearer from the moon landing era. I love strapping it on and just not worrying about it, since it’s far from a safe queen. This is what a tool watch looks like after being used for 50 years, and I dig it. I’m selling it because I gave in to temptation and bought a Hesalite 3861 at the Honolulu boutique last month (thanks Alan!), and alas don’t have room for two Speedies in the watchbox (or the budget).

On to pricing. In general, the 145.022-69 with DNN bezel is the cheapest 1970s Speedmaster out there, for reasons I do not entirely understand. (I never could bring myself to care about the DNN/DON bezel distinction.) Using the Speedmaster 101 scale, I would rate the bezel Very Good, the dial Good, and the case Fair. (The appearance of the dial now is Very Good, but it was Fair before being relumed). Overall I would rate the watch as ‘Good minus’. Based on that, I’m offering it as follows:

· Head only, pictured strap is not included
· $3650 via Paypal F&F, Zelle, or wire transfer
· Price includes insured, overnight Parcel Pro shipping in the United States
· Service papers and correspondence included
· I’ll throw in an OF Tier 1 membership (or upgrade to Tier 2) - you’ll be free of ads, and the mods will get a little bit of the appreciation they deserve
· Photos form part of the description, please look closely! Note that the movement photo is pre-service; I haven’t opened it since it was serviced.
· Please no returns unless seriously misrepresented

There’s not a lot of attractive, wearable 1970s Speedies out there for under $4k! I welcome discussion, so please feel free to offer your feedback.

I have sold a 145.022-76 Speedy, 176.001 Seamaster Chrono, and some parts here, and more watches at WUS (same username) and Reddit Watchexchange (PM for username). Please check out my post history and feedback.

Should not last long !

I just got really excited when I saw this and had to remind myself I already own one.
This is a spectacular daily wear watch.

Thanks for the kind words. Description edited to clarify that it does luminesce, just very slightly.

OHPF. Thank you all for the overwhelming interest - I have had 13 people contact me, and 10 firm offers. Curiously, most of you are apparently in NL or UK!

Duly noted, I will try to gouge you all a bit more next time. Or maybe I should take it up with that Speedmaster 101 fellow for having a conservative price chart!

Sold to a new OF member. Thank you everyone for your kind words and interest. As always, I wish there were more of these to go around.

No- actually thank you for pricing this exactly where it should be. These watches are not rare and they are not special- they are just awesome. We have all watched in horror as watch prices have escalated to insanity over the last few years (to the horror of us collectors but the joy of the speculators). It is absolutely refreshing to see a sanely priced Speedmaster.
Perhaps you are helping to break the fever on the market.

@Foo2rama @JwRosenthal

I am humbled by the complements, thank you. I am curious where this gathering recession will take the watch world. I would be happy if prices came down! Sadly I doubt it, there are too many people now chasing too few watches.

When I first got into the hobby I had the usual delusions of grandeur about making money flipping watches... After about 1000 hours on eBay I concluded that I could make a lot more money with less stress by just working at my job. At any rate I'm happy to get back more or less what I paid for it, less service, and move on to other fun things! Thanks to OF for the education and the space.