Hey everyone, Here's my first real post, up to to this point most have been "hey that's an amazing watch!" I'm a relative noob to the watch world, I've been heavily interested in watches for a couple years now. Fell in love with speedmasters and too quickly bought a 3572 that I knew I'd "never sell." 6 months later I then fell in love with vintage speedies so I sold it to fund a future purchase of a 105.012/145.012/ or 68 transitional...(still searching so please feel free to sell me yours!!. I follow all the forums, big name watch news sites/blogs and lurk here so many times a day it's embarrassing so when I heard about the upcoming Christie's Speedmaster I was excited to see what they'd have to offer (and bummed because it will only help to keep moving the prices of all Speedmasters higher and and higher.) There are a ton of amazing items in the catalogue and several 105.012's and a 145.012 and I'm shocked by the price estimates being so low. I've seen several 105.012's go for much higher here and on eBay and those examples appeared to be in sometimes lesser condition (also hard to judge since the catalog only shows a few pics). Are these estimates just guesses by Christie's as a staring point and will end up much higher by the end of the auctions? I admit I'm totally clueless about the auction process and never really pay attention to the nuts and bolts of how they executed. Any chance those prices are relatively firm so that I need to get versed in auctions by the December event date so I can snag a deal? The prices quoted are right in line with everything I read (Speedmaster101, hodinkee, this forum, and so many others). Any input is appreciated and again please feel free to sell me your 105.012/145.012/ or 68 transitional and save me from all this. Thanks, Tomo
Highly likely that the hammer price will far exceed the estimates. I have seen it happen many times. And then there is the 25% buyer's premium. I strongly recommend viewing the pieces in person before making a bid.
That's what I was afraid of. Thanks. On a related note will anyone from the forum attending the event please video call me while you're there so I can see all this goodness with you?!! Appreciate it!
This is a seed auction. Christie's like any auction house is always looking for niche markets. The speedmaster market is ripe for developement. This auction will excite considerable interest, and Christie's quite rightly has put reasonable estimates to attract viewers and buyers. I for one would not be going to New York if the estimates were 20-30% higher. It is very likely prices will double or even triple.
Maybe I'll set up a booth outside the auction and hock some of mine. Speedmasters! Get your Speedmasters!
Those prices are just random estimates where the price falls only the desperate and new know. There are people with more money than sense and paying a few extra thousand for a clean piece makes all the sense to them. Not a lot of people have time nor the dedicated to learn all the little things.
the CB cases are nearly 50 years old and maybe 8-10 times serviced. and most watchmakers have polished that step out anyway.....even CB had that step removed during the production process on the demand of the Omega factory. but it is not too complicated, to create that step on a lapidating machine ..... kind regards. achim