Speedmaster 2998-1 - added value of 'Tropical' ?

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A relative newbie to Omega??? And you've got more now??? 😲
I think the collective noun for a collection like that should be...... a 'piss-take' of watches!😁

(Beautiful collection by the way!👍)
Edited:
 
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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A couple of pics below of my Omega and Rolex/Tudor collections - they are a bit out of date (2015) with a lot added since.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.



Looks like you just showed us a picture a watch shop.

A local watch shop posted an ad today offering to buy watches to stock their inventory, pretty sure the owner was looking for somebody like you haha.
 
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Looks like you just showed us a picture a watch shop.

A local watch shop posted an ad today offering to buy watches to stock their inventory, pretty sure the owner was looking for somebody like you haha.
Relative noob... owns a Marine Chronograph and some serious early Speedies. I don’t think him and I use the word “noob” the same.
 
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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

My personal opinion for Tropical being a premium vs a turnoff:
1) You shouldn’t have to go outside or shine a flashlight to see that it’s brown
2) The color should be even over the entire surface of the dial (or registers in the case of panda Tropical) and almost look like it was born that way
3) Lume should be intact with nice patina. If it’s all black or greenish, not really an aesthetic upgrade
4) It should be beautiful. There is such a thing as wow pretty tropical and ugly tropical. That’s where it gets interesting. A natural and unpredictable aging creates a new look that goes above and beyond a non-tropical example. Some watches look better in a crisp black vs faded brown. It really depends. However, you’ll know it when you see it. You don’t need to be told oh it’s more expensive because it’s Tropical. You should look at a stunning tropical watch with character and warmth and think ‘I would pay more for this, I love it’.
 
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I agree. First and foremost the dial should appeal to you. If you like the look then that attracts a premium.
For me if I see a nice even tropical dial that I like the look of then it has added value because the colour is a visible representation of the fact that the watch is a vintage watch. The same thing applies to the bezel if it has faded to an attractive grey or blue colour. The other point is that if you get a nice tropical dial together with a nice faded bezel then it is unlikely that there is another watch with the same colours which makes the watch in one sense unique.
I think that there is in some ways a paradox in collecting vintage watches in that we want them to be in good original condition but at the same time want them to evidence their age.
 
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Both are excellent examples of the 2998 reference, however, there is a difference between the two Speedies. The watch on the left is a 2998-3 with the correct Base 500 bezel for that model. The watch on the right is either a 2998-1 or 2998-2 with an incorrect, but very nice, Base 500 DON bezel. There is more to the watch on the right beyond the Tropical dial, it has the earlier short indices subdial at the 3 o'clock position making it an earlier 2998-1 or 2998-2 Dial. This reference would have preceded the watch on the left making it the more desirable and possibly more valuable, too. The watch on the left, though also a 2998 Dial, has the longer indices on the subdial at the 3 o'clock position. Congrats on two very nice but different Speedy's!
 
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It should be beautiful. There is such a thing as wow pretty tropical and ugly tropical. That’s where it gets interesting. A natural and unpredictable aging creates a new look that goes above and beyond a non-tropical example. Some watches look better in a crisp black vs faded brown. It really depends. However, you’ll know it when you see it. You don’t need to be told oh it’s more expensive because it’s Tropical. You should look at a stunning tropical watch with character and warmth and think ‘I would pay more for this, I love it’.

Yay, exactly this !

 
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kov kov
Yay, exactly this !


Ben voilà, ta tout compris.

Translation: you totally got it
 
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Ben voilà, ta tout compris.

Translation: you totally got it
Agreed.
Better than words can explain.