I hope I don't regret moving on from this one...




Up for grabs is my beloved 145.022-69 with DON bezel and 1116/575 bracelet and end links.

This watch is in great condition. The dial is literally flawless, with a beautiful even texture, and no lume loss anywhere on the dial or hands.

The S/N is 2911xxx, which is largely known for being the serial range which produces chocolate dials. This watch would not be considered chocolate by any honest person - nor is it considered that by me. However, in just the right light, there is the faintest brown reflection in it. Regardless of this fact, it is a stunning dial.

The lume throughout is in perfect condition. The dot over 90 bezel is a very deep, glossy black in-person. It clearly shows some paint chips, but I find it very attractive.

The case is in good condition, with all factory finishes present. Whether or not it has seen a very light polish, or if the case has just seen a life of use is likely a matter of opinion. Personally, viewing it under a loupe for what probably amounts to hours at this point, I don't think it was polished as I don't see any shine on the brushed surfaces. Rather it appears to me that the sharper surfaces of the lugs have been broken from life-use. However, I encourage you to make your own conclusions on this from the pictures.

The 1116 bracelet is also in excellent condition and shows signs of wear coherent with the rest of the watch. The entire watch, including the bracelet, is exactly as I received it. To my knowledge, this bracelet is correct to the watch. It's a somewhat less common bracelet than the 1039 accompanying many early 69's, or the 1171's mated with later iterations. It's a very comfortable bracelet and I enjoy it quite a lot. It is currently sized for my approx. 7 3/4" wrist. Included is an extra link that should suitably size it all the way up to an 8" wrist if I'm not mistaken.

Time and chronograph functions work smoothly, and all chronograph functions reset properly. However, it has not been serviced in my possession.

Let's walk through some pictures in natural lighting, which have not been edited except to crop and adjust the balance to attempt to most accurately show the watch as it looks in real life. I took these photos as the sun was low in the sky, and attempted to get the most cross-lighting to accentuate the bumps and bruises.



Deep black bezel, flawless dial with slightly darker discoloration of the hand lume - especially the hour hand, as usual. I apologize for the glare coming from the crystal. The lume has a wasabi green tint to it in sunlight. But under most other lighting the lume tends to have a rather fresh white look to it.

All marks seen on the face are from the crystal, which I believe to be original by its logo. note that there is a little bit of "craze" on this crystal, particularly in the 9 o'clock - 12 o'clock region if you were to slice the dial as a pie. You can see some of these marks throughout these photos if you are looking for it... but the dial is flawless.



The seahorse logo caseback with some signs of use.
There are two small idiot marks on the south side of the logo. They are small, and not done by me, but present nonetheless.
Judging by the dirt and cheese that was on this watch when I got it (seriously, so much), I presume that the pushers are original, or at least rather old.




Correct crown and pushers, factory brushing, and decent edges. Note that the brushing on the sides has an angular quality to it rather than the perfectly horizontal brushing seen in nearly every other Speedmaster. I have discussed this trait with other well-established members who claim to only see this anomaly on 145.022-69's. Thus, we can probably take this to show that the case-band is indeed appropriate and correct for this watch.


Crystal isn't perfect, but it's pretty clean. Most marks could be polished out with some patience. Note the crazing that can be seen in some of the above photos at more extreme angles. When looking directly at the watch, the crazing is pretty much non-existent unless you have direct side-lighting, so I haven't found that it inhibits my adoration of this dial at all. Plus, I like that the crystal is original (or at least quite close to it, I presume)



The 1116 bracelet and 575 end links. All in good condition. I had to clean a lot of wrist cheese from this bracelet when I first got it. But after a couple of trips through the ultrasonic, it looks great and feels great. I would liken the feel of it to be somewhat akin between jubilee and flat link. It has a little bit of the natural flexibility of a jubilee, and a pretty thin profile vaguely akin to flat links. Certainly a slimmer profile than the 1171. There are some desk marks on the clasp, which I now realize didn't show up well in these photos. They are among the finest and shallowest scratches that happen, but they are visible in different lighting, thus I want you to be aware. They don't bother me in the slightest.


Bracelet is at around 7 3/4" total length with the head, as mentioned. Add the additional end link and I figure it would be right around 8", maybe a little above.


The dust cap is correct to my knowledge. Shiny, pretty, clean, and with a nice snug fit.


There does not appear to be service marks on the inside of the case back. The threads are well in-tact. There are two small spots of corrosion around the gasket, as seen towards the left in the above picture. Not sure if these will affect water resistance, but c'mon... it's a vintage Speedmaster. You're not getting this thing wet regardless.



Clean looking movement and all of the copper elements appear with the same shade.


The last stop on our tour: UV glow shots. The first shot above was taken immediately after a short splash of a UV torch, the second shot is approximately 30 seconds afterward. Note that the exposure on my camera tries to compensate to the lower light as the glow dims, and leaves the shutter open slightly longer to gather more light. But, the gist is obvious - it reacts just the way you'd expect tritium to behave. I have no concern over the originality of the lume.

Bonus round, an outdoor shot with my iPhone for good measure... It gives you an idea of the gorgeous display it can put on if you catch it on the right day:



This watch has given me lots of pleasure in my ownership of it.

The only fault I can find is that the chrono reset pusher is sometimes is a little stiff, and on occasion may catch slightly when depressing it. Usually only if you apply off-axis pressure to it (i.e. if you press it sort of sideways or at an odd angle.) It's never caused any issue resetting for me, but I have noticed it on occasion. No doubt this is something that would disappear at service.

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I am a private collector and not a dealer. This watch comes from my small collection of only a few watches, and like many of you out there, my watches are a product of my hard earned work and saving. I am selling this because I own another 145.022 which I love dearly, and I am working on the dream of a 321 Speedmaster (have my eyes on one FS here, god-willing it may still be around if this sells). Thus, my motivation is not profit whatsoever - however without asking a good price, my ambitions can't be realized. So, I won't claim my asking is the lowest that you'll find, but I do claim that this is a beautiful watch which I love dearly and that I sincerely believe you will enjoy it as well.

Terms and conditions. $7400 USD via Paypal or Transferwise. I will be happy to cover transaction fees in this deal, however I ask that we discuss and agree on shipping privately.

The watch and I are in Houston, Texas. Returns are accepted only if grossly misrepresented. You will get what you see in these pictures which are of good quality and resolution, so I don't believe there is any chance of misrepresentation. I have sold and shipped worldwide, but I am not a veteran in every aspect of global transactions. However, I am a quality human and with a little understanding from both parties I have no doubt that we can have a pleasant and smooth transaction.

I will happily ship to wherever you are in the world. Expedited shipping and appropriate insurance can be arranged.

For my references here as a seller, I have a history as a seller on eBay going back many years with 100% positive feedback, all available on request. I have been around this forum for some time and have listed items for sale, however, I think they ended up selling on eBay at the end of the day if I recall correctly. I have purchased on this forum before, and believe that I can provide quality character references as a buyer and participant of this forum if desired.

All criticisms about the watch are welcome.

Thanks OF for this space.

Naturally as mentioned above, I am open to trades for a 321 Speedmaster + $ from me. Most likely a 145.012 is all I can afford. But it has to be one that speaks to me... I dream of a 1675, but it's naught more than a dream.

 

Very happy to hear reasonable offers.

You could very well test my resolve with a GMT Master trade too...

 

Reduced