Hi all! I would be very thankful if you can give me some details and advise on this Speedmaster BA145.022. It belongs to my family since the first day it was bought new. Box and paperwork are lost over the years. It has some dents and scratches, the bracelet is a bit loose. For the past 23 years it was left in the drawer. Since no one from my family it interested to keep it I tried to find the value. I found out, only 1014 pieces where made. Also I found out, the bezel is not the original one, as the hands. Google gave me some really crazy prices, but I don’t think in this conditions, without box & papers it is worth 50.000.-€……. Would be great if you guys can tell me your opinion. Hope these photos are ok. Best regards Philipp
What do you want to do with it? Values a bit hard with the wrong bezel and new hands. When these do come up they are original, so value is a bit unknown.
Welcome to the Forum! Interesting family heirloom you got there! You are correct, the hands and the bezel are wrong, if I'm not mistaken, the bezel is from the 1980's Gold Speedmaster. The hands are not from a 18k Gold Speedmaster, they remind me of an italian market special edition, but I can't quote the ref from the top of my head. The case is worn, if not damaged to say the least. Some very big dents at the upper left lugg and the underside of the left flank. Pushers are worn off, crown looks original to me. Luckily for you, the hands, bezel and pushers are all still available from Omega. Although not cheap. Pushers run for around 250 € each. The case could be restored by adding new material but that will be very costly as well. So is a professional restauration of the bracelet to get rid of the stretch. Keep in mind that, even with all the original Omega service parts, your watch would still be valued lower than an original one with the correct vintage parts. So you need to decide if you want to put in a substantial ammount of money before selling it. Positives of your watch would be the early oval O ( the O in omega) dial matching the early serial on the caseback. Then there is the question of the state of your movement. A service is due for sure. Hard to tell the value in this condition. It'`s still a 18k BA145.022, that alone has some weight to it. Good condition original watches without Box and Papers are now trading in the region of 40.000-60.000 $, with box and papers considerably more, even higher when brought to the right auction house. Please note that we have a 200 (constructive) post limit here to sell watches on OF for new members. And we don`t like seeing the rules being skirted by disguised "advice on value" posts if the intend is clearly to sell. I'm not saying that is what you are doing, just take this as a friendly explanation of the rules here. If you really want to sell and maximize your profits I would advise you to take lot's of clear pictures ( go to a near by watchmaker or Omega Boutique to have the case back openend) also from the movement, write a throughout detailed and honest discripition of the condition and story of the watch and put it up on ebay for sale as an open auction. Don't end it early when someone offers you something like 10.000 $, just let it fly. Cheers, Max
Then check your inbox and be careful if you deal with anyone you meet over the net. If they have plenty of posts you can check out the kind of thing they say and the type of posts they make. These are rare, desirable watches that are experiencing rising interest levels. This page is brief, but has a good link http://speedmaster101.com/assessment-guide-2/speedmaster-limited-editions/ Also check Sotheby’s upcoming auction of two of them: http://speedmaster101.com/sothebys-sale-ba145-022s/ Your watch has serious issues, that will require a buyer to “take a view” on the replacement parts, and it is these buyers that have in the last 12 months, woken up, come to their senses and stopped paying crazy prices for incomplete watches. I don’t think the big four auctions will take this watch until the bezel and hands are addressed. The bezel is a big block. You can get an omega service bezel in 18kt gold and burgundy insert but it has a different font layout and so in spite of the $1500 you spend on it the watch will never look right. So if you are selling, don’t touch it. As I wrote the very sensible post above appeared. Lots of photos and an eBay .99 start might be the best way to realise top value - especially if you give the full story. Do let us know when you post it for sale.
When I bought my first BA, I paid I think $15,000. At that time, there was a vague desire to wear one head only on leather - from several watch appreciators, as opposed to collectors. At that time a head, showing some use, was valued around $6000. Today, with prices for top examples over 50,000 it would be interesting to hear what a used example like this, which would be an ideal wearer, would be. For me, 6,000 is too cheap. Would I pay 10,000? Maybe, if I had a good week. Would I pay 15,000? Never. I am curious to hear what others think for this well worn example
Bezels are RARE, have only once seen an original for sale and that was taken off back in the day for a reason. You therefore will be relegated to the service bezel or leave as is. This in a way is more original and actually also not that easy as the gold black bezels from the Stafford aren’t available anymore either. Think there were two BA145.022 on C24 in similar state with asks north of 20 - don’t think those sold though. Otherwise agree with @Spacefruit’s pricing.
I think a steel watch in rough shape can still be desirable and attractive, but a watch in gold should be as close to perfection as possible. IMO if all things are equal a gold watch loses its desirability factor much faster than a steel one as the condition worsens. This loss of desirability is only amplified when also taking the gold premium into account.
Listed here I believe ... http://chronocentric.com/forums/chronotrader/index.cgi?page=1;md=read;id=107699
Not a easy evaluation , a lot of money for a bezel,hands service, and the case is so damaged that would say close to written off beyond damage.
So it looks like the "family" has decided to sell it to a dealer.... https://www.chrono24.ch/omega/speedmaster-apollo-xi-1969-vintage---ref-ba145022-69--id11698791.htm
The seller thinks the have a gold mine )) I tried to sale a DON bezel to make it right but did not understand the opportunity they have to get one , at the end is close to a piece of Junk .
I actually find the idea of a well worn 18k piece a more attractive proposition than some poseurs safe queen. The idea of an 18k tool watch is pretty far out anyway so one that's been used as intended it's pretty cool. At the right price obviously. Calling the watch 'scrap' & 'junk' is a little over the top. It's not investment grade agreed, but it's still a very rare watch.
Ou read it correctly ))) A good news the bezel of the Erasmus fits also maybe Omega will sell it as spares
