Hi OF

First, big thanks to the guys who gave me some advise before getting this piece! I am normal into vintage Seiko and Rolex so this is my first vintage Omega

Found it on a holiday to Spain in a small village and even thou it had som parts the watch wasn't born with it looked like the watch checked out ok! I know that it is a Franken and not for the purist, but i got it at a price where i could not say no...

The backcase is stamped: 105.003.65
Cal. 321
Serial / number on the movement: 22088543

It came with a lovely 7912 bracelet with a lot o links and the (as far as i know) correct "6" end links !

The dial is off cause a later dial and was told that the chrono-hand og crown also is a later model! What else can you spot?

I am also in doubt... i have a few options for the watch

1. Keep it as it is
2. Search for original parts
- If i am going to search for original parts, can i sell the dial that is currently on the watch?

I am also considering selling the bracelet since i am never going to wear it, it is way to big and i don't dare to touch the links... :/

That was a lot of questions, i hope you will take a moment to answer some of them For the moment i am sitting with a BIG smile with the watch on, but i am a purist at heart so someday reality will hit in and the later parts will bug me just a bit !

Here is a tiny bit of pictures



Hope the pictures will do the watch justice, it IS a very niece piece even thou it have some not the purist parts

Thanks
// Simon Hedegaard

 

I like the watch as a piece, with its history and as it is.

The current dial is from a 145.012 and has no luminous materiel. This is not so attractive. The chrono hand is also from the later time. But if you look closely it does not match the other hands.

If it were my watch, knowing what I now know, I would send it to Simon Freese for servicing, send the dial and hands to James Hymen for re luming and then enjoy the watch. Take the opportunity to get a drop end hand as well.

I would keep the bracelet as you can always get more money but unlikely to get a full length bracelet with end links again.

With James you have to make sure you specify the color of the lume and hands - he is prone to make them too perfect. Simon can also do it, and he is more familiar with vintage appeal.

The dial has value but nothing like the amount you would need for a 105.003 dial and if you did find one it is unlikely to be an attractive one.

My suggestions should give you change from £1000, whereas trying to get this back to original spec will cost around £5000+ and you may not find the end result good.

 

The serial is too early for a -65 also don’t forget which is pretty difficult to remedy legitimately. I think it would be tricky to put that fully back to stock, better to use it as is and enjoy.

 

Thanks! What is the value if i don't change anything? I have found a bracelet like this at 2500eur and know that the DON inserts also are up there, but i have no clue if the rest could sell

Think i will keep it as it is and when time is, sell it and look for a more "complete" model

 

Why not just wear it and enjoy it for what it is? A lovely vintage watch with a character of its own. If it smiles to you what more can you ask? Enjoy and wear in good health.

 

The watch looks great like this even if not correct... the 7912 bracelet with links is quite desirable and valuable if you really do not want it why don't you try and swap it vs a nice dial & correct hand. I agree with sir Spacefruit that it will be difficult to find an attractive dial but who knows... and for sure the bracelet will always keep good money but this is just a suggestion I have nothing to offer

@Spacefruit this is definitely not the place but how did you distinguish the 145.012 from a 105.012 dial? even with the help of your gorgeous site I still do not make the difference

 

Congrats on the watch even if the parts are incorrect. It is always nice to score a great deal.

Pros of your watch are definitely the 7912 bracelet + 6 endlinks and the DON bezel. The 6 endlinks look original because of the ridges. In addition, the serial number looks correct for a very very late 105.003-64 so who knows.

Cons are the incorrect dial, hands and crown.

My suggestion would be to wear it as it is WHILE searching for the correct parts. Like you said, having incorrect parts will bug you down the road and getting the correct parts will take time so why not enjoy the watch while searching? The hunt is part of the fun.

To answer your questions, you can sell the current dial as it is in decent condition. You can also sell the bracelet for a pretty penny.

 

How much is a bracelet like this worth? I will never wear it and it could pitch in some more to the rest of the watch

 

I agree with everything @Spacefruit has said, with the exception of the dial. It is certainly incorrect, coming from a later Pro 321, however it looks to me like a significant amount of lume remains - it's just quite pale.

Regarding the bracelet, a completed sales search on eBay or here will give you an idea. With 6 endlinks I'd think +/- £2000.

 

Yes I thought I saw significant lume remaining too. I could use a dial like that for my -68 so perhaps I should be persuading the OP to change everything!

 

Firstly, I like the watch - I'd have been a buyer for it too if the price reflected condition. I'd service it and keep that one as is.

Now, let's think about costs:
a correct dial, assuming you can find a good one .... $8000US?
handset .... $2000US?
Crown ... $500US
Pushers ... probably get those for $200 each.

To offset that cost, the bracelet would bring $2000; the endlinks another $3000.

So, ASSUMING THE WATCH IS AN ORIGINAL 105.003-65 that had all those parts swapped over at service, that's a ballpark of where you are going to be just to buy the parts. The dials don't come up that often (he says, never really having gone hunting for one). It may be that a WTB post would get you one faster than searching all the online sales but you don't have priviledges for that yet.

My advice: service the watch and wear it for a few months before deciding to throw thousands into a full restoration. While you're wearing it, research the watch and order up an extract.

Enjoy it. I think you've scored a true barn find.

 

The 105.003 here would have no T's and "SWISS MADE" is against the minute track (ie the print is higher on the dial), also, it's obviously "pre-professional". Not sure if you meant to ask that but to the question you actually asked: 105.012-63 lacked Ts. -64 to -66 had "close Ts" where the top of the T lines up inside the 28 and 32 minute markers; the later dial for the 145.012 has the edges of the bar on the Ts lining up on the 28 and 32 minute markers. Hope that's clear. There may be other differences (I've not had coffee yet) but they're the giveaways that I look to.

 

You can find correct pushers on ebay for $120 each. Correct crown for about $350 - $400.

Don't think a dial will go as high as $8000. I would guess around half of that depending on condition.

 

I need to go shopping where you're buying, then!

I AM NOT RECOMMENDING THIS DIAL, but a quick search on eBay threw up a hit and it's in the middle of what we both said at just over $5800: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-...504914?hash=item3b1510fb52:g:4rEAAOSwBdhbTO6~Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

 

A 105.003-65 dial certainly does have Ts, narrow ones like the -64 to -66 Pro dial you describe.

 

Obviously later 105.012-66 dials (and some -65's?), also have wide T's and it is these that are indistinguishable from the dials on the 145.012's.

 

That's what I said (meant). DIdn't it come across that way? -64 to -66 ... so the 105.003-64,-65 and -66. I need coffee. I'll bring one for the Forum.

Sorry, I just realised what I wrote originally! This is a -65. For some reason I had it in my head that the original watch in question was a -63. As you were, everyone. I'm upgrading the coffee to espresso.

 

I agree there is lume. I would rather a re lume than this, although I realise that many will disagree with me.

 

This is what I had in mind

 

Seeing that picture, I now think you may have a valid point...