Hi, I am a newby here, trying to gain some useful knowlegde / insights before buying a vintage Omega Speedmaster. I am currently looking ast what looks like a Speedmaster 105.003 Ed White. It is a 1965 model with a serial number that seems correct but quite late in the series (25.4M). I was wondering if this odd numbering should raise a red flag or is this common for these series? I included some pics of the watch. Any thougths / pieces of advice from more experienced Omega collectors on this are much appreciated. Cheers.

 

hi - welcome to OF. I'd say if you haven't done so already, get over to http://www.speedmaster101.com and learn all about the reference there.

The serial number is fine - in the middle of the range for a 105.003-65, but I would want to see some better photos of the watch before committing any money. The straight-ahead shot looks really pale - has the lume all gone, or is that just the photo (I suspect a bit of both).

Are the hands replacements? The bezel isn't original. The crown looks like a 32-tooth "B2" crown which might have been fitted in a service previously. I don't think those are genuine Omega end-links on the bracelet either, and it's not the "correct" bracelet for an Ed White either (as far as I can tell). Oh, and it needs a service.

 

There's an awful lot of replacement parts on the watch. There'll be little change out of £7000 to put it to right with the correct bracelet.

 

Many thanks. I had checked the 101 site, but still wasn’t sure. Thanks for your view on the bezel, I had doubts there as well. The crown is a replacement I learned. I will give it some thoughts.

 

Thanks and appreciated. I noticed it too, bit scared about how much this is gonna cost to get it back in good condition again.

 

You have to be brutal with pricing a watch like this. Even if being brutal means you walk away. What's a good Ed White going for now? £12,000?

Start with the figure you're comfortable with.

Deduct £2500 for a bezel
Deduct £500 for a crown
Deduct £2200 for a bracelet
Deduct £400 for the dial work
Deduct (maybe?) £500 for a full service.
Are we happy with the hands? Replacements - £1000? Rework what you have for a few hundreds.

 

That makes sense. I should also factor in some work on the case. Has some rust on it (hope nothing in the dial work), but I don’t want it polished beyond recongition. What would be a good estimate for that work? Hands are original but need rework.

 

It's stainless steel - there's no rust. Don't polish the case at all. You want an original Ed White, not a polished used-to-be. What's listed above is the cost of returning it to original. If you want a perfect Ed White, then leave this watch alone and increase your budget. They come up on the FS section here once every blue moon.

 

I’ve seen a lot of SS cases that are corroded, so I would not discount the concerns regarding case condition completely...

 

Service pushers on it too.