Hi all!

I’ve come across this 105.012 that seems pretty honest with b/p and EoA. It seems pretty honest, any red flag I’m missing?

thanks

 

I would ask for photos of the inside and outside of caseback, and of the movement (showing the movement serial number). Hands are rough. Looks like lume has been removed from the dial (may just be angle of the photos, but it looks like it is gone). Case is rough. Bezel is rough (not as bad as some though). It would all come down to validity of the movement and the asking price for me.

 

Very much a 'running' example

 

Yeah, where is the lume?? I mean, mine is still pretty white-ish, but at least you can see it raised on the surface. This looks dead flat like someone cleaned the dial and lost the lume. And the hands- is that lume or apricot jam?

 

Ahah it’s clearly not collector condition, I know!

And the asking price (2.9k€) reflects that but isn’t there something to improve it?

 

Well at that price you should already have bought it (it would've helped to have that info at the start as obviously it affects the critique of the watch).

You could certainly improve this watch but a) that will cost money which in turn increases what it will cost you, and b) the more you do, the more you'd be making it less original. This is generally a negative but if condition isn't good to start with its less of an issue.

You could look to relume the dial etc as a start.

 

At this price I would not hesitate buying it - especially if the serial number is correct, and the watch is working.

 

Still need movement pics and serial #... Otherwise you are just buying a dial that needs a relume and a beat-up DON bezel.

 

I’ve lost my stomach for fixing up well worn 321 Speedmasters.

Even after everything external is squared away, you still have a movement that has wear, maybe substantial wear, throughout it. These watches wind up going back to the watchmaker repeatedly, because something else keeps breaking or falling out of adjustment.

The watches that have given me the least grief are the ones with little evidence of wear or use. For the obvious reason, those movements work like (almost) brand new. Like most of us here, my favorite discovery in a new acquisition is that there are no watchmaker’s service marks and the movement looks pristine.

I used to think I could get a bargain by getting a tired watch and reviving it. Often, between time, aggravation and money, I haven’t saved nearly as much as I’d originally expected. And even if all went well, I still had a worn out Speedmaster that I knew was an assembly of mine, not the factory.

 

Be cautious, I don't know where you have found this watch for sale at 2,9K€.
This watch (exact same photos) is currently for sale on a french forum for 11K€ !!

 

Here is the same watch at 11k... Sounds like a scam

https://cda.chronomania.net/forum_entry.php?id=226013

 

Good work.

A good thing to do is Google image search on the photos of any watch you are considering buying.

 

Well done indeed, thanks!
I’m always very cautious about these « too good to be true offers » and I ask for a local pick up. If the « seller » disappears or finds an excuse, I know it’s a scam...which indeed seems to be the case here :/