Hi Guys. I've come across a watch I am considering purchasing by a local seller. I have little history on the watch, but am told it is working well. Any thoughts on this being FAKE or REAL? Any thoughts on its popularity and its value? Would you recommend NOT polishing this one? Thank you in advance for all the feedback. jg
Trim the threads off your sweater man! It's real, but I can't tell if that racing dial was original or it was added later.
Thank you. Maybe I ask why you suspect that the racing dial might not be original? Can you also date the watch? Cheers. joe
There are a lot of conversions out there that came with normal dials and NOS racing dials were added later. Might be original, might not be. Can't say for sure. Does it prefer flowers or chocolate? Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker! Okay, seriously - it's an early to mid 70's watch I think. Caliber 861. Not familiar with this model, but maybe around $1500 give or take? To a hardcore collector, it's usually a negative. If it's done correctly without ruining the lines and keeping the brushing intact then it's okay with most and can actually help resale a bit - but only if it's done with the same finish as original. Wait for other responses as I'm not the best with Speedmasters (as you can see in my avatar message).
It is a MkII in nice overall condition. Some of these came from the factory with a Racing dial and some did not. A higher resolution image of the dial might help to determine if this is a replacement set or not. In any case it looks like the watch will need a service, based on the state of the gasket and the grime under the pushers. I cant tell if the original finish is there and how badly the watch is dinged or scratched, so it is difficult to say if it should be polished or not. But IMO if the original finish remains I would not have the watch polished, only cleaned. If most of the original finish is gone you might want to pass or have the watch refinish to the factory finish. Value wise, I would recommend you search eBAY for completed auctions and see what these sell for. I can say that recently I have seen a number of MKII with regular dial and in need of service sell around 1000$
Never "polish" this watch. Unless you know someone with the proper lap machine to put the original finish back on it will be a disaster. It appears to have a bit of the original sunburst finish....please leave it that way. JohnCote
To me it looks like a replacement racing dial and hands as the colours are too bright. I'm not sure if this is negative to its value or not, some people like the original faded dials and some people like the new bright colours. MKkII arent particularly popular and anywhere from $1000-$1500 is about the max I'd expect to pay (unless it was mint with recent service). You see plenty on ebay for much higher but I doubt they actually sell.
The dial and hands seem modern replace, such as the crystal which is normal being mineral and it can get easily scratched. The case and bracelet are original / vintage 1162/173 with visible signs of wear. The deployment is the old style. Movement, dial, hands and crystal look excellent compared to the rest, and i can't understand why gasket looks so bad though. Could you tell what's the movement # or what does it say on the papers ? Or maybe better resolution pictures...
Dial is definitely signed " T swiss made T" not a replacement dial. Picture of the back would help a lot.
Good eyes. From the pictures i couldn't see the "T Swiss Made T". However, if the racing dial turns out original, considering the condition of the gasket, this may have never been serviced. As it is complete, this should be a premium.
Yes, the Crater box is included. Really, 500 GBP's? Wow. Many thanks for all the feedback gentlemen. If any one is interested in a few direct pics, please email me direct and I will send out. Quickest email to get me is [email protected] Cheers. Joe G
Oh, and the line about trimming the treads off the sweater. That's so true, and priceless! I'll let him know when I meet up with him. lol Joe