For your delectation and delight - here's a birth year watch I recently acquired. Would love to hear your feedback on it.

The case looks polished in my eyes but as it's my first birth year speedy and I love the look of it - I was fine to overlook it.

Have been playing with differing bands - it came with a 1171/1 but thanks to @billythekid was able to put a 1039 on it.

C.

 

Look at that crazy patina of plots, hands and bezel !

Perfect

Dibs !

 

Is the lume original on this??

Beautiful watch regardless. It has seen some polishing, but there are a lot worse.

 

Beautiful looking colour in the lume... almost too good to be true

Congrats on finding your birth year watch... great year to be born if you’re looking for a BY Speedy. I’m ‘76 and the examples available are generally a lot less attractive than yours

 

Wow! That patina is amazing!

 

Honestly that's one of my main questions - it looks very very neat. The dealer I bought it from seemed to think it was.

 

I first thought it could be relumed but as the plots are very "sharp", it looks original.
Did you try a simple UV test to see the plots/hands glowing (normaly faintly) ?

Cheers.

 

That's a good call - I haven't yet.

 

That lume patina is stunning ,wonder if it was ever redone? Can't remember seeing another Speedy where the lume has aged like that, almost aged Radium in colour.

I still have yet to get myself a birthyear watch, seems '74 wasn't one of the better years as I see very little around and alot of my favourites fall either side of it.

 

Yes, try the UV test.

The dial lume being original is more believable, but the hands (for whatever reason) rarely age so perfectly

 

Very nice.

I must admit that it looks like your lume was ‘touched up’ to get that beautiful orange color, but an in hand examination is called for.

PM me and I’ll look at it. But you might not get it back from me.

Very nice.

 

I thought that hands and dial lumes had different ways of aging... But don't get me wrong it does look incredibly beautiful, that's probably what matters the most in the end

 

Any recommendations on a UV light? Or a will a $10 ebay special do the trick?

 

Although this is stamped as a 69, the extract came back as a 73... So not too far off....

 

It will. The Dial & Handlume look very matched, but even if, it's a good looking one.

 

Model Year in the Caseback is not the year of production of the watch or delivery date. And this is a very late serial for a '69 (32xxx), it actually falls into either -71 or -69 Straight Writing Casebacks. But could be a "Borderliner". May I ask where the watch is from?

EDIT: 145.022-69s where delivered until 1971..so this is quite far off. Just want to mention that to sharpen awareness.

 

Beautiful! Wear it and just enjoy it....

 

Got it from a dealer in France a few months back - I'd have to check the extract - but pretty sure it confirmed it was a 69*. Let me check and report back...

Edit * - with a production date of March 73.

 

The Extract doesn't state the Model year, only the reference. Don't get me wrong, I just wanted to tell you known facts to make you aware. It often just comes down to the price you payed and what one is willing to accept.

 

This would be quite a surprise. The museum typically do not state anything more than 145.022 on the extract.

It is beautiful. Enjoy it!