Question for vintage Speedmaster case experts out there, or anyone with an opinion .... How perfectly even were both sides of Speedmaster cases that came from the factory, especially the size of the polished areas of the case sides and lugs? (Vintage Rolex cases on Submariners often were uneven from the factory, with the crown-side thinner than the non-crown side.) Were Speedmaster cases always perfectly even and matching on both sides? Below are photos of a crisp Speedmaster 145.022-78 case that is supposed to be unpolished. Yes, it's nice, but is it unpolished? If you look closely, the polished areas of the non-crown side are slightly narrower than on the crown side. It's subtle, but especially apparent in the first photo.
Well, perhaps it is unpolished, but I know for a fact that the case is different, slightly, than the case of my (former) 145.022-69, that was fatter with larger polished areas on the sides of the lugs (photos below). Were the cases a little different on the 145.022-78s?
There are two different model cases around the period of the -68 transitional and the -69’s. @ndgal diacussed this in an earlier thread about brushing also being at an 10 degree angle around this area on one of the case models during this time. I have learned to identify these two different cases now from checking the feet on the case. The thinner case has “bigger” feet, as a tell tale sign. ndgal can probably share more info about his findings.
Ah, thanks, but I'm really talking about the differences in cases, if any, between the 145.022-69 and the 145.022-78. Were the 69s different, a little fatter with wider polished areas on the lugs?
Sorry, I read you wrong. I read -68 instead of -78, my bad. I haven’t checked this on newer iterations, so I cant tell. Someone knowledgeable will probably chime in soon. But my “general” opinion is that the newer they get, the fatter the cases get. But twisted lugs have never been “symmetrical”, lug side always fatter to my understanding.