i am new to this forum and this hobby, however i must say that vintage watches are addictive!!!
i have stumbled upon two great speedmasters 2998 on ebay and would love to know your opinion on these watches.

the first dealer offers a 2995-5. is the watch, including hands, pushers, crown, bezel and movement original???

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Omega-Speed...206?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item234f99e596Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network




the second dealer offers a 2998-6. are the parts, hands, bezel, pushers, crown and movement origianl???
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VERY-RARE-1...432?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item235279c930Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network



i am a newbie and would love to hear from the members and speedy specialists.
thanx
david

 

You have read this, right?
http://speedmaster101.com/2998-3/

The first watch has a very marked dial, perhaps oil, or something. Anyway I would hesitate because of that.

 

First one has the wrong dust cover too. But the first thing that struck me, was the asking prices for both... Hot damn!

 

The second one has an asymmetric clutch bridge which is odd for this reference - though the case looks very nice. The seller too is, I think, of a spotted past around these parts.

Both nice enough, but not worth the money asked imho, and not what you might call collector grade... though as Spacefruit has mentioned, to get into a 2998, you are probably going to have to buy one with some issue or another.

Be sure to do a lot of research. Buy a copy of Moonwatch Only. Stick around here and you will find one, just be patient, especially for that kind of $$.

 

Sage advice.

Far better to spend a few months researching this properly and paying the extra for any price movement in that time than rushing in and over paying for a wrong 'un now.

 

I wouldn't buy, regardless of the beauty/quality of the watch, for two reasons. The seller, and also the seller.

You should always buy the seller.

First: he wants 'bank transfer only' as payment, which is ridiculous and unnecessary, and I would never do it unless I knew the recipient personally, and completely trusted them. If something goes amiss, or wrong, then you have little, or no recourse.

Second:

 

Thanx for the prompt responses. I have been searching for a 2998 for quite a while and they always seem to have some issues! Quite disappointed not able to find a decent 2998!
thanx for comments

 

Asymmetrical bridge and some missing screws:

 

For a newbie, your speedmaster taste is expert-like.

 

Good case restoration job on the second. Probably one of the best i have seen.
Now all he needs is a good watch restorer...

 

With all these problems how can these dealers ask such a high price?? I would be willing to spend this amoumt only if the watches were all original. Sigh. So hard to find a decent 2998!!

 

It's unlikely you'll ever find a perfect one (well, if you do, the price will be sky high!), you just have to know what the issues are and how much time, money, likelihood of being able to resolve them.

Hands are fairly easy to find (easy being relative, see the 2915-1 hands on ebay listed for $10K). Pushers, crown, crystal are service items and can be forgiven and even sourced. The dial, very unlikely you'll find a good one that's not on a watch. Case, same. Bracelets are available too, though #6 endlinks are not.

For the asking price, it should be as near mint as you'd be likely to find, and these prices are high.

If you're going to take a gamble (and I'm not suggesting that you do), the second one looks nicer, but the first one is more complete.

Decisions, decisions...

 

Yes I agree-the second case has almost certainly been repolished.

I'm 99.9% certain that my Ed White is unpolished and the facets on the edge of the lugs follow a different line to this.

 

@david3449, pic?

 

Extremely hard to capture with an iPhone.

Looks like it's the bottom edge of the fact that runs along the side of the case in the second example, whereas I believe it should be the top of the facet. Obviously this would happen if you remove a bit of metal.

Have to say, I think it's more of a refinish, rather than a re-cut and still much better than a lot of cases out there.

 

Asking prices are strong but they're both dealers who have better than average examples.

I think they're too expensive and have a couple of issues, but I bet they've sold within a month. To play Devils advocate, if you want one and quick, where is a better one for less money?

 

It's a good point. We can all agree these are expensive for what they are, but what are the alternatives if you want a 2998? Patience perhaps.
European Watch Co has been selling that 2998 since at least March -- they were upfront with me about the dial issue.

 

Patience was the best advise I was given when I was new to watch collecting. Within reason any one with deep enough pockets can find most Speedmasters fairly quick if money is no object and you aren't bothered about it having a couple of issues.

If you are willing to wait and put some effort in however you will almost always find a better example at a lower price. That's the trade off.

 

The more i look at the watch from the second dealer the more i love it. The dial is just perfect. Some patina and character makes this watch gorgeous. These speedmasters drive me crazy.
however the assymetrical bridge and missing screws are holding me back.

 

A put-together movement from a questionable dealer is better than average? What has the average become now?