Found this amazing chocolate dial Speedy today at the Munich watch fair. Looks like a '69 145.022. It was not too expensive, but I was looking for another watch for my collection. I have a tropical 145.022, but the dial on this one was much better than mine's. Didn't open it to check the serial and didn't have time to inspect it in detail. I was left on one of the stands by a walk in to be sold. That was a red flag and the completely wrong bracelet.

 

Very nice! Might have the wrong bracelet but look at that very nice DON. What were they asking?

 

What was the asking price?

 

Am thinking this maybe one of those moments

 

10500 euro. I couldn't buy it, but I tried persuading some of my acquaintances to get it. They were in to vintage Rolex so...

 

So lemme get this straight : u didn’t buy it?

 

Well, 10500 euro isn’t nothing, but it’s very attractive in the pictures. I’d bet a couple people here would be willing to pay that much for it

 

I would probably pass at 10.5k... but would be a buyer for sure at 9k euro. I’m willing to bet it looked better in person too.

 

Nope. This one got away. I knew it the moment I saw it, but didn't have the 10000 in my pocket to buy it. Even if I did have it I'm not sure I would have bought it. I'll never know for sure
Trying, very hard, to focus on one watch that I really want and not acquire anything else before I find it. Trying to control my hoarding instinct has been very hard for

It looked much better in person. It was really amazing. I didn't try to haggle, maybe they would have sold it for less.

 

Here's a cropped image of the watch. It's been color corrected to get the same color of the dial as it look in person, or as close as I remember it. Don't mind the overexposed bezel and case.

 

10.5k soon becomes 9k, once the colour of your money is seen……

It probably did look a lot better, in real three dimensions…2D ‘ flat images’ always visually over emphasise, minute flaws

 

how was the munich watchfair? i used to go there every time. makes sense to get registered as a dealer, pay extra fees and you can get in before the public comes in and even use the dealer only trading sessions.... just let me know. kind regards. achim

 

It's fun. It's a convenient place to meet you acquaintances, dealers, customers and friends. If they are from Europe they are usually here. This time the Munich watch fair coincided with the Parma fair, so most of the Italian dealers didn't show. The selection was very bad to say the least, but you can always find interesting pieces.

 

Wow, the case looks so sharp, and the bezel is in amazing condition for a DON. (no I didn't miss the nice chocolate dial)

 

That is an amazing watch. Imho a missed opportunity. But something nicer might come up for you.

 

What a nice watch! Even if it’s not yours now, should had be nice to hold and see it in hands

 

It's so hard to happen upon stuff like this; in hindsight, we all could think that it might be a good buy - but Speedmaster101's guide price for a collector grade -69 DON is less than $10k, so €10.500 is very much not a bargain...

Having said that, I came across a watch at a fair only about 3 years ago, which I recall as being an immaculate looking transitional -68 with unmarked DON bezel, and the dealer wanted £2.4k and I thought it was far too much, but maybe I'd have a think ... #toolate

 

It may well be quite the bargain,… this time, next year ?? ( 50th Anniversary )

€10500 was also the just starting point…Marginally above ‘Guide Price’

If the difference was between ‘Winning, and Whining’ was less than €1000…I know, which option I would have taken…

Of course it all depends on whether, one has the funding in place, or not…otherwise the question is just academic