Fair enough - it's just that they tend to call everything NOS, or more accurately "NOS condition" which to me sounds like a slippery way out of it not actually being NOS...
The movement is certainly in good condition, but I see them in this condition that have been inside watches for decades also. I was hoping to see the movement in some OEM packaging or something in the auction to indicate it was really NOS, but I only see shots of it in the watch.
Cheers, Al
You're right, I have no evidence of any of their claims. I did not see a movement in original packaging, whatever that would look like in 1963. I didn't see any of the other parts in original packaging, either.
I saw a collection of parts that looked new at a price that I knew was high but that I could afford. I have a timing analysis that implies that they did service the movement though they didn't spend a whole lot of time adjusting it. The crown fit could have been better and they should have replaced it before sale, but I got a replacement crown for free and my local (Rolex trained CW21) watchmaker did the work with permission, so I didn't have to send the watch back to Australia. Since I wanted it insured for the full amount, I also had to pay about $150 import duty, which wasn't all that bad, actually.
So I can see where people would be saying, "Dude, I never would have done that!" and that's fine. Any time you buy something online for thousands of dollars, you run a real risk of getting hosed. EBay tries to shield that from you somewhat.
But the central tenet of life is risk management... and I calculated I would get $4550 worth of enjoyment from this watch over the next 30 years, so I bought it... and a 1610 bracelet with some 840 endpieces I already had (replaced those with 849 on my Speedmaster)... and a whole lot of other straps too.
Heck, you buy a car for a whole lot of money, and it doesn't last as long as a good mechanical watch, that's for sure!
So I'm pleased with the whole thing because I can happily wear my Seamaster 300 that glows like a mother and keeps good time.
Tom
