This just finished on ebay.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=271739259899Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

It's from the UK which usually adds a slight premium but I'm unless I'm missing something, this was very much top dollar for this watch.

By the sellers own admission it has been relumed, although it still looks nice and appears to be a good job. The hands and bezel look good and original and I've also heard that early 105.003's may have come with the silver rehaut.

However, the case looks wrong to me. Almost like someone's tried to polish the lugs to look like the later twisted lug cases.

It's a nice looking watch but I'm surprised it went this high.

 

Nice looking watch.

OT, is the Canadian loonie *that* low these days?!

 

God give me strength

 

That should be £GBP not $US

 

Ebay corrected itself. Sorry for the diversion.

I do see the case looks a bit soft on the lugs. For education, what do you mean polished to look like later twisted lugs?

 

5300£, $8,010. Bought by Ebayer with 396 favorable reviews. I would presume the buyer knows what they are doing.

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but that facet just looks too wide to me.

Whereas it should look like this

 

Yes three different bidders went over £4500. I just think personally that's high.

Am I missing something here??

 

I think you'll have a better idea regarding where the Ed White Ebay market is in 5 days after the below is finished. It was original listed for $16,000; discounted to $14,000 and then relisted as an auction with no reserve. It is a 105.003-64 with a superior bracelet (7912). The bids are already over $6,000.



View item:
VINTAGE OMEGA SPEEDMASTER CHRONOGRAPH 321 STRAIGHT LUGS TROPICAL BROWN 105003-64Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

End Time: Jan 25, 2015, 5:19:29 PM EST

 

Wow, thats a lot for a relumed. Makes me regret not hitting the EUR 4500 BIN on this:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Omega-Speedm...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

 

Once again.
The price bid is not the price realised until the buyer pays and he/she is happy.

 

Wow. I mean, I get that the dial is tropical (in certain lighting scenarios) and it's all original, but if this goes over $7K I'd say that's steep for a 105.003 with as much wear and tear as that one. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course, but when the plot markers are nearly black, that doesn't pass as "patina" in my book, so much as degradation. Additionally, the hands are a disaster and it almost looks like the dial has spotting/staining in the pic with extreme light that made it look chocolate-y.

As an Ed White owner, I obviously hope the thing sells for $10K. Just don't see much to warrant an above-market price in this example. Maybe that's just me though.

 

Well market is the market.

If open bidding pushes the price up beyond what I think is the value, then I have to change my perception of the market value.

I have noticed several 003's going for strong prices. I think they are the last affordable straight lug and buyers are waking up to this.

In the same way two years ago 2998's appeared on eBay regularly. Maybe they were the "poor mans 2915" and we no longer see them. I don't count the absolute rubbish that has sold recently. Then again rubbish fetching strong money?

It is the market.

And it's not just happening in watches............

 

Hi

105.003's have definitely moved up in price in the last 12x months....and at quite a rate !

I would agree with Spacefruit's comments around 'market' and if you think the price paid is too high , then I'm happy to buy your examples at a discount to market price

My congrats to the Seller....

Best - Neil

 

Agree about the market. I paid slightly over what I thought was market value for mine a couple of months ago. But, would I now sell it for a profit? No, because I know how hard it was to find and I'd have to go through it all again.

Sometimes when one comes up you've got to make your move, knowing that's what above market now quite possibly won't be by the time you find the next one.

 

These lugs really look strange, @Michael, is it as obvious in real life as it is on the pictures?
Personally i think it is really a very high price for a 105.003 that has a case that has been wrongly polished,
dial and hands relumed (also it is a very good job, which makes me ask Michael who has done it?)
a modern substitute crown.
Well, if this is where the market goes i really wonder what comes next...
Maybe thisPurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

 

Chaps, the fact is the best place to but 105.003's or any early speedy is through the forums, dealers charge a premium and the beauty of eBay is it can create a buying frenzy! Early speedy prices are on the steady increase and auctions can be the best place to sell them. I was at the Arthur johnson specialist watch auction late last year, a couple of 105.003's which where well below average and had issues and a 105.012 went for outrageous money and then the premium on top, it is simply what people are willing to pay!

Bottom line is we will all be sitting here in years to come kicking ourselves we sold watches so cheaply, I remember selling my 2998 FAP a couple of years back for £7.5K and being delighted then selling my 2998-4 this year for nigh on as much! Just the way of the world!

 

yeah, amazing. Maybe 5 years ago I bought a fantastic 2998-5 at no more than 3.700 EUR from a dealer. Today it would be at least double price. Unfortunately it is no more mine as I traded it in for a 2915. I should have kept it AND buy the 2915 .

If you look at Rolex vintage it shows where the market can get with some special sought after references. A chapter ring dial 5512 is not selling for less than 15.000 EUR and it is more likly to find one than an early 2998. A nice 6542 GMT is selling for 20k to 40 k EUR though, if you want one you can immediatly find one. Even if you are willing to pay 20 - 40 k for a 2915 it will be not that easy to find one at once. The Daytona prices are completly crazy though they are available like sand, compared to 2915's.

 

The case has been polished a long time ago, looking from above the lugs straight on you cannot see the angle and the lugs are still very thick. The light I use above while taking pictures has exaggerated the chamfer because of the polished surface. Don't get me wrong it is still there but not as obvious.
The original crown will be included with the watch also which I forgot to add in the listing.
The work on the dial plots and hands is something I do myself and really enjoy doing, this process is totally reversible too so it can be washed off.
yes it is a good price, I was chuffed, not a lot of 63 marked cases come up for auction I have only owned one in the past.
Looking back over the years at prices and availability of these SL speedmasters, in my eyes prices are still cheap.
If I think about my two favourite chronographs the straight lugged Speedmaster and the Rolex 6263 and put them together I still get the same feeling from the Speedmaster as I do the 6263, although prices are a higher generally for the 6263 I still see the SL Speedmaster as an equal if not more iconic watch.
Some collectors have one vintage Speedmaster, some have 10 maybe 20, I know some have gone Pac man and have gobbled them up like there is no tomorrow.
like a hoard of pirates treasure which they guard with their lives these watches will stay with them until the day they die.
I know for sure that I will keep my personal SL's and am sure a lot of other collectors feel the same, so where will that leave the future vintage Speedmaster buyer?
Prices won't go down but availability might be a problem.
I am no expert on the vintage Speedmaster market like some of the people here but looking back they seem a sound investment to me.
Thanks Mick

 

Get 'em while you can folks, they're not making any more.