Hi all,

With the advent of ever escalating prices for the most sought after examples of early Omega. I was just wondering what the difference in value might currently be between examples of Speedmaster 2998-1.
Specifically how much the 'tropical' aspect of the dial might affect price.
This is prompted by the recent price achieved by the spectacular 2915-1 and indeed the truly lovely Base 1000 2998-1 currently being offered by 'Spacefruit' on sales corner.
I've attached a picture below of two of my 2998-1's.
What's the opinion is of their comparative value should I wish to sell in todays market?
I realise that neither has a Base 1000 bezel, but I believe both are in pretty good condition for their age - the only real difference is in the 'tropical' dial.
I should add that my photography skills are truly horrendous, so the picture does not truly display the depth of 'brown' in the tropical dial - it's quite pronounced in the 'real world'.
I look forward to your opinions.

 

I would say that your right-1 is worth more because it has the correct dial, not so much because it is tropical.
Somebody on this forum recently stated that for -1 and -2s, tropical dial actually more common
than black. I don't know if this is true but anecdotally It seems that way to me. Hope the
Experts chime in on this point.

BTW lovely pair

 

You mean the right has a correct dial.

 

Yup, dyslexia

 

A famous lizard is known to say : "they are worth what someone is willing to pay you for them" So that might be a kidney and some steak...

Lovely watches by the way!

 

Both are lovely congrats. But i always prefer the non tropical. Dont see why to pay a higher price because of dial defect when i can then just buy two for the more original look.

 

I've observed that tropical is quite a subjective term. Likewise value of tropical dials tends to be subjective too. Find someone who loves your particular tropical and you could see anywhere from 30% to 100% premium.

 

Super examples BTW......

In any assessment of value, I suspect the question of provenance comes into play here....

One buys the integrity of the 'Seller' .......not the watch itself

As the recipient of a past transaction with @Spacefruit, ( not a Speedmaster ), I would have no hesitation in accepting his description
of any watch, as entirely accurate, & true

A purchase from @Spacefruit , an acknowledged authority in his field, with a Global website.....adds value to any purchase

I do not mean, in any way, to disparage you personally, or question the authenticity of your watches,......but you can, I am sure, appreciate how 'Brand Value' can provoke a disparity in pricing ?

 

..I would add that there is also likely to be a premium for a complete and correct watch, especially these early ones. So while a Base 1000 bezel might run $10k+ on its own, you would likely suffer a greater penalty for not having one should it come to sale time..I would guess possibly $20k or more.

Both very nice watches. I love the straight Chrono seconds hands on these.

 

All understood, I'm a relative 'newbie' to the world of Omega and I'm a learning 'sponge'. However, I've always tried to do as much research as possible in all the watches I've bought for my collections.

I've been collecting watches, mainly vintage Rolex / Tudor tool watches, for quite a while.
It seems that the collective knowledge on the forums is quite astonishing.
However, where Rolex / Tudor is concerned, it's also quite noticeable how opinion on specifics changes over time. It's not unusual for statements of fact to become 'incorrect or inaccurate ' as more information is unearthed in the fullness of time. I've seen many Rolex values change dramatically as new information has been unearthed.

A couple of pics below of my Omega and Rolex/Tudor collections - they are a bit out of date (2015) with a lot added since. I also have a few Heuers, Zenith and Longines amongst others. Unfortunately, now that they have to live in safety deposit boxes, it's impossible to get them all together for new 'Group' shots. I guess it's a sign of the times !!

I appreciate all the knowledge available on the Forum and I'll continue to try to soak it all up.

 

Totally agree. Tropical has a huge variation in attractiveness - some I have no interest in and some I would rob a bank for

 

Biggest concern : what color does it turn after the lovely brown that you mortgaged your house on for?

 

I have never understood the market premium for tropical and wouldn't pay a premium for it. That said I am continually proven wrong by the market on this point..

I will say to the eye there is good tropical and bad tropical and you really have to see a dial in person to know which Is which

 

Yup, everyone should have two -1s, one of each

Di you think there are more brown 2998-1,2s than black?

 

I agree with this. Buying from any member with integrity does add some value. But this is just a question. Not an arguement at all. Just trying to understand. What happens to the member that does pay the premium. But then wants to sell it. He will not get that premium at all stating. Oh i didnt buy it from the original owner. I bought it from a very highly respected collector. I think it has to be balanced. In regards of how respected the seller is and price. Again not trying to start an arguement. Just would like to understand your view on this. Thank you

 

Noiseboyuk.... you killed it with this collection!
What a collection!

 

Re tropical and patina.

There is damage and there is patina. “Spider dials “to me is putting a name for the lipstick on a pig. Heavily damaged dials that don’t look good, and giving them a marketing name.

As Mr Fruit has stated there is a bump for exceptional watches. Example I have a -76 that in photos looks to have a scratched bezel, and boring lume. In person it’s an incredible ghost bezel, with warm lume tinged with green and amber. Next to a new Speedy there is no question which is the more appealing watch.

Some watches have an it factor, some don’t. Why do 145.022-74 watches with warm patina go for more then a 2 year old watch? Exact same watch minus a few minor font changes, and arguably less watch due to wear and lack of lume.

TLDR there is tropical and there is damage, it all depends on how it looks in hand.

 

Random DIBS!

 

A brain-boggling concept...please elaborate