One-Owner 145.012 with Personalised engraving added value or not??

maxbelg

Thanks I am enjoying it a lot already! Yes, I hope (and expect) that the extract is to Spain.

I'm going to try and keep it pretty much as is but the painted hands are just too much for me. I am considering either having the current lume on the plots stabilised and adding tritium hands (in the post) or re-lume existing hands and dial. There isn't that much lume left on the plots though. Thoughts?

stefman

Mine has lost all the lume plots and the previous owner (my good friend) changed the original hands for new, but correct, replacements (and gave me the originals just in case). I also put away the DON and wear it on a moder DNN. I think a lot of collectors would frown at all this, but I’m happy with the look and happy I can bang it around without worry. I wear this watch 7 days a week, it’s my daily beater. Guess what I’m trying to say is do what makes you happy and don’t worry about the rest.

airansun

😒

BlackTalon

That's kind of the definition of disagreement. But like 'one-owner' can now mean multiple owners, why not have people with disagreeing options not be disagreeing 😁

BlackTalon

A disagreement doesn't mean things are uncivil -- it just means people do not agree about something. Forums work because of varied opinions (disagreements).

maxbelg

I've just bought a 145.012-67 SP with a date engraved on the Case Back. Usually engraving on a watch detracts from the value but in this case I think it adds to the value: Reason being that the same date is engraved on the clasp of the excellent condition1039/516 bracelet. It fits the overall impression that this watch is in its original and unpolished state. Every last part is correct for the reference and I believe original to the watch, including the flat-foot crown and even the crystal! The movement looks to be in great shape too. I've ordered an Extract of the Archives.

There is one single date scratched in the case back in 1983. I believe this was the only service and the only time something went wrong: The hands were all painted with a thick white paint At least the watchmaker didn't scratch all the movement screws. There's not a lot of lume left on the plots either so I think I'll have this serviced, dial and hands re-lumed and wear it !

Please tell me what you think of this personal engraving which was made just 40 days prior to the first steps on the moon when Michael Collins was wearing his 145.012!

EDIT: Turns out this is a one-owner watch! I got this message back from the seller in Spain giving me some more info on the watch. Why I even got a hug! Needles in the text are the hands which I commented on because of the white painting. The dealer I bought it from will send my e-mail to the son of the previous owner. If I get further updated I'll post them here:

"Hello, I'm glad to hear from you.
This watch was bought from a man from Salamanca, his son sold it to me.
They gave it to the father for his wedding.
Bought in a jewelry store in Salamanca many years ago by this man.

And to this day a single owner. We bought it three weeks ago.
I hope what I enjoy and about the needles ... they came to us like that.

Thank you very much for everything and a hug."

maxbelg

I've just bought a 145.012-67 SP with a date engraved on the Case Back. Usually engraving on a watch detracts from the value but in this case I think it adds to the value: Reason being that the same date is engraved on the clasp of the excellent condition1039/516 bracelet. It fits the overall impression that this watch is in its original and unpolished state.

rkman11

I think it’s a case by case basis. Doesn’t add value per say, but personally I think they’re neat and, like patina, give it that something special that sets it apart from other similar watches.

Taddyangle

Maybe I missed it (128 posts), did you ask the dealer to ask the son what the date represented?

I am not a huge fan of engraving, especially on a watch that I have no connection with the the specifics of what was engraved.

Edward53

Perhaps we can all agree that OP's watch is a "one-user" or "one-wearer" watch. Which I think is the spirit of what OP meant.