Recently acquired from the first owner. It was quite a long drawn out process, and required leaps of faith and trust on both sides, but eventually this came through: It was purchased new in 1973, by the gentleman who sold it to me. Now a little tired, but honest and not damaged. The case is true, and the the watch will recommission nicely. A nice surprise on the back: Hands show evidence of being removed and refitted several times - at least they were not replaced! Some quick shots of the sides. Interesting crown... And with the period pamphlet A lovely find.
So this is the big fish you sold the 2915 for??!?!?!? (But really congrats on the find. Really cool!)
Ha! No - this was actually first agreed three months go, but it took. While to complete. The 2998 went to help with the biggest fish I have landed....and that is still on the wrong side of the world.
Nice chuckle William - that bulova crown! Wonder if there’s an interesting story on the crown you could share. Nice pick up!
Congratulations ! A wonderful catch with full set of papers. From one of the papers, apparently an invoice, the speedmaster was sold US$200.81 (tax included) back to 1973. It was not cheap at that time !! Great job
I do wonder sometimes ... ... many of us marvel at the sheer volume of some Speedmaster collections here. How can someone have so many beautiful 2998s and 105.xxx's? Will the time come when we look back on these 861s from the mid 70s with the same sense of awe? Will the time come when we actively look for the first superluminova references?
I always wonder, with these posts, if people come away feeling hopeful that this could happen to them...or frustrated because it never happens to them.
These one owner watches are a whole different game - one I like. It requires patience, trust, and a willingness to take risks that many will not. There is also no “customer service” for me as a buyer. All due diligence has to be done, and even then there are surprises - and sometimes after several months the seller changes their mind and gives it to a relative or just changes their mind. In fact often, the first thing I ask is why don’t you keep it? Or why don’t you give it to a member of the family? On more than one occasion I have not bought a watch after pointing out the emotional connection that selling it will lose. The most magical experience was buying a BA145.022-69 only to be told after I sent the money that it was going to pay for the seller’s elderly relative’s comfort in their last days. I did not regret over paying that one. And over paying is the way to go - I am not a dealer and each watch I buy I can remember the story of how I got it and how it lived. If part of that story is to think that I paid half what the seller could have got on eBay, then my entire collection would remind me I am a schmuk. Last year I heard of a 2915 being bought by a trader from the old man who had it from new for $4500. That is not clever trading - that is theft. Now to be clear, if it is sitting on a car boot table from a house clearance for £50 that is different, or a dealer selling an Alaska project because he doesn’t know - that’s ok too. But an original owner asking for help I believe needs to be helped and guided, and treated in a way that when I meet him again I can look him in the eye.
