Purchase advice on Speedmaster MarkII 145.014

OMEGuy

Watch looks legit and as described by the seller.

What would bother me at a price of $1.600, is the over-polished case and the condition of the bracelet (there is at least one bent link near the end piece). Is there a photo of the inside of the clasp? There also seems to be corrosion to the gasket rim, maybe not a big thing. I guess it's only dirt in the centre of the crown?

The hands are genuine vintage (tritium), but they don't match the dial at all. I personally wouldn't like this.

Looking at the gasket, the watch hasn't been serviced for quite a while. So if you decide to buy the watch, keep in mind that it needs a service, so you might finally end up having spent more than $2k.

For $2k or maybe a bit more, I think you'll find a better one...

chocopanet

I can somehow always tell if a watch was overly polished but not in this case.

OMEGuy

Here are some pictures of an unpolished example for reference:

kingsrider

I doubt that movement was serviced recently. I see corrosion and dirt. Case was polished with a wire brush. Wrong bracelet although it does have value for a resale.

bucksandreds

If this watch were recently serviced, why would the inside look filthy?

kingsrider

I doubt that movement was serviced recently. I see corrosion and dirt. Case was polished with a wire brush. Wrong bracelet although it does have value for a resale.

johnnylarue

I agree with pretty much everything that's been said here. The asking price isn't crazy, but if you're patient you can definitely find a better "honest" example for $1600. On the other hand, you probably wouldn't have much trouble getting your $1600 back on this watch if you ever tried to sell it, even with its improperly finished case.

That having been said, I'll offer this as a general comment on vintage watches (if not this one in particular): so many of the details we obsess over on these forums often become non-issues when a watch is on your wrist. I went through a similar thing recently shopping for a MKII, building up an extensive list of crucial collector-friendly requirements for my prospective purchase, only to be blindsided by a very imperfect bargain specimen I wasn't expecting. Much to my surprise, I found I really like my watch in its heavily patina'd beater condition, and I absolutely LOVE that I can wear it without fear of scratches and dings since they're already there.

So it's obviously good to know what you're buying and how it's been altered from its original condition, but there's something to be said for a piece that proudly shows its age, too. And I'll echo what others told me while I was actively shopping for a MKII--they look way better in person, warts and all. 😎

OMEGuy

Here are some pictures of an unpolished example for reference: