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Speedmaster Teutonic: to refresh or not?

tikkathree
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My EDIT Teutonic - and as I now appreciate not a Mk V suffers from skeleton hands, faded hour markers and invisible case tachy markings.

Would you refresh everything or preserve it as is?

It definitely needs a service: after about 9 hours' on the wrist and the last four or so with the chrono running the watch stopped prematurely; it hadn't fully wound down.

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Edited:
 
Paedipod
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Kind of depends what you are wanting to wear……..it’s a big investment that will not be recouped if you go the restoration route and wish to sell (and technically not a Mark V, “just” a teutonic speedmaster).
 
Donn Chambers
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That really depends on what this watch means to you in your collection. If it is just a watch in your collection that you never wear, then I would keep it as is in all original condition to maintain the value.

If you like to wear it and all those issues bother you so much that you don’t wear it as much as you would like, then I would replace. I was in the same position years ago with an old Seamaster 300 from 1966 I picked up for a good price in New Orleans. All original, but the bezel was cracked, and the lume on half the dial was brown from water damage in the past, and cream on the other half. I wanted to wear it, but it always turned me off.

So, I had a local watchmaker source a replacement bezel, dial, and hands, had it serviced, and sold the used parts on EBay. Interestingly, I got more for the parts than I paid for the entire watch! Many here would be aghast at my choice, but I was quite happy with it. I wore the watch almost daily for about 5 years before I passed it on to someone else looking for one, as I wanted the new 300 MC.
 
tikkathree
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Paedipod Paedipod
Kind of depends what you are wanting to wear……..it’s a big investment that will not be recouped if you go the restoration route and wish to sell (and technically not a Mark V, “just” a teutonic speedmaster).

Okay, thank you. I need to do some research to understand the difference.

Donn Chambers Donn Chambers
That really depends on what this watch means to you in your collection. If it is just a watch in your collection that you never wear, then I would keep it as is in all original condition to maintain the value.

If you like to wear it and all those issues bother you so much that you don’t wear it as much as you would like, then I would replace. I was in the same position years ago with an old Seamaster 300 from 1966 I picked up for a good price in New Orleans. All original, but the bezel was cracked, and the lume on half the dial was brown from water damage in the past, and cream on the other half. I wanted to wear it, but it always turned me off.

So, I had a local watchmaker source a replacement bezel, dial, and hands, had it serviced, and sold the used parts on EBay. Interestingly, I got more for the parts than I paid for the entire watch! Many here would be aghast at my choice, but I was quite happy with it. I wore the watch almost daily for about 5 years before I passed it on to someone else looking for one, as I wanted the new 300 MC.

What does this watch mean to me? Let's see.

1. I adore the design of bracelet and specifically the difference in vertical height between the outer and central links.
2. Most of my chronos are autos so I enjoy the manual wind.

The question of cosmetic makeover arises because I'm thinking about treating the movement to a clean, service and regulate. The condition of the dial and hands don't deter me from enjoying wearing the watch and having previously tried unsuccesfully to refresh the tachy markings I find myself thinking that the outcome of a cosmetic makeover is likely to be a compromise.

Thanks guys, this helps.
 
Paedipod
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Standard speedy movement so that should not be a big deal. From my understanding of this the best way to refresh the markings is a new bezel, there are some out there last I looked and the teutonics have a bunch of variations. Regular speedy hands/dial don’t fit according to my watchmaker but I am not sure about this and if you are just looking for a wearable version of the case/bracelet may be able to cobble something together
http://chronomaddox.com/teutonics.html
I have had a couple but let them go……the design is different and certainly not the moonwatch.
 
SkunkPrince
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It were mine, I would send it to Bienne. I don't like wearing watches that are overly worn.
 
Fatcat
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Hi mine Mark V goes today for a control ( avoid dismount the hands ) and change the bezel , nothing weird .
 
0BB940F1-1CC0-4A95-9838-21CB50604138.jpeg
Fatcat
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For the hands ask to Omega in Bienne only to fill it again matching the dial only condition they have to be « able » to remove the hands and keep it in good shape to re-use that may not easy and warranty but for me it works the 2 last times and come back with the full 2 years warranty .

paul
 
tikkathree
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Paedipod Paedipod
Standard speedy movement so that should not be a big deal. From my understanding of this the best way to refresh the markings is a new bezel, there are some out there last I looked and the teutonics have a bunch of variations. Regular speedy hands/dial don’t fit according to my watchmaker but I am not sure about this and if you are just looking for a wearable version of the case/bracelet may be able to cobble something together
http://chronomaddox.com/teutonics.html
I have had a couple but let them go……the design is different and certainly not the moonwatch.

I hadn't considered that the bezel might be removable/replaceable: thank you sir.

Fatcat Fatcat
For the hands ask to Omega in Bienne only to fill it again matching the dial only condition they have to be « able » to remove the hands and keep it in good shape to re-use that may not easy and warranty but for me it works the 2 last times and come back with the full 2 years warranty .

paul

Genius, thank you too.
 
tikkathree
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The watch is now en route to Simon Freese for a service of the movement.

One last question: I'm in danger of attaching too much importance to the original hand lume so my question is whether it would have been good or just mediocre?
 
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