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Vintage Speedmaster 861 . Should I replace the dial? Any info on this watch would be really appreciated.

ShiestMaster
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I feel so incredibly lucky to have purchased this watch at a garage sale for 10 bucks! I sent it to Omega and they confirmed it is real and it has the 861 caliber movement.
As you can see from their invoice they are saying the dial has some moisture damage and they want to replace it. Should I do this? All viewpoints and opinions are appreciated. Please share your thoughts.
Also, based on this limited information we have would anyone care to ponder a guess what year this watch may be from and any information you can possibly help me with like reference number.
I plan to have Omega repair it to treasure and wear this piece for the rest of my life!

7836661122133805429.webp 6953010690889765916.webp 276318083697891583.webp IMG_6574.webp
 
ShiestMaster
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Also, when they say “Bezel Steel” on the invoice does that mean the metallic looking one or will it be the typical black one?
 
noelekal
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The dial is far from perfect, but it would be nice to inspect it without the obstruction of that wretched crystal.
 
ErichKeane
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They mean the black bezel insert, steel is the material of the actual bezel (instead of gold).

I'd ask if they could skip the hands if you're leaving hte dial, replacing one but not the other would be an awful mismatch. The dark discoloration to lume isn't everyone's cup of tea though.
 
bazelot
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Just replace the crystal. Dial does not need to be replaced. it is vintage. I wonder what year it is. You could source a vintage bezel and install it yourself, it would fit the rest of the watch better. Jeez they jacked up their prices, Chronos used to be $700 to service last time i brought one. Maybe you should source an independent watch guy and see if he could service the movement. If you decide to get it done with Omega please tell them no polish, they tend to be overzealous on their polishing and they usually destroy the shape of the case (I know I have one that they over polished.
 
M
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If it was mine I'd keep the dial and try not to replace the hands. Other than that, I'd let Omega go crazy on the movement, cleaning the corrosion and crud off the back of the case, etc. ....and I'd definitely replace the band.

Congratulations on the watch! If I could have found it for 100x the price I would have bought it instantly
 
Evitzee
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Tread carefully, are they going to polish the case? Will you have a choice? The bezel and insert will be new, and they may replace the hands whether you like it or not. It all depends on what you want on your 'free' watch......keep it vintage looking or a more modern look? I would be looking for an independent Omega repairer who would be more flexible. Once it gets into a service center you lose control, especially when they start dealing with unstable tritium on the dial and hands. Your 'requests' go out the window.
 
Davidt
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I assume it’s a 145.022-69 or -71.

Do you have the watch with you or is it with Omega. If it’s with you can you take some photos of the dial in natural light?
 
Passover
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Before doing anything get yourself Polywatch and clear the plexi!
1760079508550.webp

Will cost you half of the watch price! 😉
 
padders
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Both dial and hands look shagged so you may as well get both changed. You’ll have a Watchco Speedy when you finish which will make collectors sneer but you’ll still come out ahead. In essence you are paying $1,500 to receive back a $3k watch.

Or you could polish the crystal and sell it as it is. Prob worth $2-3k that way.
 
Davidt
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It depends on the condition of the dial body but a third option is to have the dial and hands relumed.

Assuming it’s a step dial I don’t believe modern service dials have this feature, so if the dial itself is good, I’d be going down that route.
 
liquidsongbird
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Wow you got a steal. My advice: take your time. Dont rush out to make it perfect. Lots of good advice here. Get the polywatch and see what you have under that scratched plexi. I agree with the independent watchmaker route too. Someone you can direct a bit more than Omega. Keep us updated.
 
Donn Chambers
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padders padders
Both dial and hands look shagged so you may as well get both changed. You’ll have a Watchco Speedy when you finish which will make collectors sneer but you’ll still come out ahead. In essence you are paying $1,500 to receive back a $3k watch.

Or you could polish the crystal and sell it as it is. Prob worth $2-3k that way.
I agree with this plan. It doesn’t have a bezel, so it already is missing some of the originality a collector will want. If the OP wants a Speedmaster, just get it serviced and get the replacement parts. Sell the old dial and hands on eBay to recoup some of the money.

Or if the OP wants to make the most money, just sell it as is. I’m not sure it’s worth as much as $2k in this market, but who knows.
 
hansaboy
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Wow! what an amazing price for a cool watch - Congrats!

And for info, this one got sold on an auction recently for 3000€!
Skärmavbild 2025-10-10 kl. 15.35.39.webp Skärmavbild 2025-10-10 kl. 15.35.23.webp
 
Dan S
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Take your time and do some research before paying Omega more than $1k. I would consider reluming the dial and hands depending on their condition in better photos. And purchasing a period correct bezel (we will need the serial number to tell you which bezel). Then you will really have something worth treasuring. I would get no joy from the watch that Omega will return to you.
 
M
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Passover Passover
Before doing anything get yourself Polywatch and clear the plexi!
1760079508550.webp

Will cost you half of the watch price! 😉
I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but I've used cheap toothpaste and a piece of toilet paper to polish the crystals on my vintage watches and it works great (at least good enough for the one you have on that Speedmaster that looks broken as well as scratched). If I need a finer polish I'll follow up with "3M finesse-it" and a soft cloth
 
pkaye6
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That is quite the find for $10. You have a lot of options and much good advice here. Please let us know what the future brings for this $10 Speedy. 🍻
 
bgrisso
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Don't send this to Omega. If you want a newer speedie, sell this as is and put the money towards that. If you want something vintage, service this one with an independent, get a correct bezel, and perhaps relume the dial and hands with James H or similar.
 
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