Speedmaster 145.022-69 Straight Writing 27.7M Serial ID

Dan S

I think that the typical delivery date of the 27.7 serial is well known and while more examples are always good, they aren't needed. The ilovemyspeedmaster site obviously incorporates a significant number of these.

The operative question is whether a small batch of 27M movements were held back and delivered with SW examples in 1971. This is highly speculative, but if someone could provide an extract showing a 27.7M serial 145.022 delivered to Japan in 1971, it would be interesting.

Dan S

IIRC, the vast majority of SW cases were delivered to Japan.

Dan S

Although it's possible that I am misremembering, and thinking only of the Apollo XI variant, which is not what you have. Sorry, I don't recall the details but I'm sure they're on the internet.

Dan S

IIRC, the vast majority of SW cases were delivered to Japan.

pdxleaf

Here's some reading on Straight writings:

https://omegaforums.net/threads/does-anyone-know-how-many-straight-writing-speedmasters-were-produced.166302/

Thread 'Does Anyone Know How Many Straight Writing Speedmasters Were Produced?' ·

I know that the Apollo XI case back is much rarer than the Flight Qualifed case back, but I'm just curious if anyone knows the approximate number of each that were produced. Thanks.

gbesq · Nov 30, 2023

The SW Apollo XI were Issued in Japan, not the SW Flight qualified. In Japan, the SW FQ are often referred to as rest of world.

Early SN movements are seen on SW FQ. It is problematic if we look at the timeline for how the casebacks evolved. I've come to think that there were early movements that were put into these watches and that they were sold years later. I have heard that Speedmasters weren't flying off the shelves back then so it's possible.

The OPs watch looks like it aged consistently. The lume has that dash 69 look.

My personal opinion is that it could have left the factory that way. I'm less definitive about serial number ranges than I used to be.

pdxleaf

Short-hand for the reference 145.022-69, i.e. dash 69.

The lume on these is often slightly dirty and faded yellow. The hands are often dark from age.

Davidt

I’d trust MWO over any other reference point, by a large margin.
I’ve never seen any 27m in a 69 and although there are rumours of ‘rogue’ serial numbers, I’ve never seen any evidence.

A 27m has no place in a -69 as far as I’m concerned.

Davidt

I haven’t noticed that in MWO.

I’m going to be contradictory here. Personally, I still don’t believe it. But I also put more weight on what MWO say than what I think, so I’d be inclined to recommend others go with MWO