I would like to ask you a piece of advice about my Speedmaster 145012-67 with short tritium index applied logo dial. As you can see it's totally correct (I hope), and Extract of Omega Archives says it was delivered in 1968. MWO book says that short tritium index applied logo dial (B4) can be rarely found in 1960-1970, but it's not so clear if this particular dial was a service dial or a "first delivered" dial. Overall conditions would say that it is ok, but I'm not so confident about it. I bought this Speedmaster 20 years ago when I did not know anything about Omega. So I'm undecided if change my dial with a normal AML long index or left it on. Thank you for your help.
Nice watch. Looks like it has the original crown with a good original bezel. The general consensus is that these dials were service items, probably late 60's/early 70's. The fact that your chrono hand doesn't match the hour/min hands would add weight to the dial and chrono being replacements IMO. I'm not sure it would cause me great concern. Although it's not original, it's in good shape and has been on there for decades, so is perhaps the most 'correct' dial for that watch.
Almost certainly a contemporary service dial. The ones with the AML (Applied Metal Logo) are rarer to me than the painted ones. While I like it, the market values the short indices dials less. http://speedmaster101.com/?s=Service+dial&submit=Search
Chrono hand lume looks like a closer match to the dial - perhaps it was replaced at the time the dial was? Either way, I think it's an attractive watch and a fun curiosity to see the AML on a short-index dial.
That type of Chrono hand may be correct for a 67, but the lume is clearly not matched to the other hands, so I would assume the chrono hand and dial were replaced some years ago.
The question is: should I swap this dial to a more usual and normal AML long index dial? It would be very simple, because I have already owned the right one
It all depends on the dial. Lets see them both side by side, and we can all have a good fight! Personally I like service dials, they have a charm all of their own. And MUCH rarer, though ironically worth less. Oh and .... Dibs! on the service dial, should you want to sell it! I dont have an AML one and it hurts....
I'm surfing the web everywhere I can. I found ton of 145012 with "natural" AML long index dial, but no one with AML short index dial, if we exclude rarest and expensive grey and blue AML short index dials (my dial same configuration?). I think I will leave it on for the moment
Nice watch. Personally, I like the looks of dials with long indexes better than the shorter ones, particularly ones in which the plot lume has faded to a darker yellow... but of course personal preference often has little correlation to value. Also, the greenish yellow plot lume (like yours) seems to keep popping up on late 1969/1970 dials? Is this a known iteration? In addition to the color difference, the lume seems to have been applied differently as well - not as thick.