Hi

I am looking for a gift for a birthday present .

Budget is £2500, / $3000.

having don't some research it seems by options are a Rolex Oyster Perpetual or a Omega Speedmaster .

I have seen this watch on eBay , is anoyone able to give opinion if it's the right watch to buy ?

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.de/ulk/itm/202374439425

Any other suggestions of watchs that are for sales ?

He is 40 this year so a 1978 watch would be ideal .

Thanks in advance

 

Hello Mike and welcome to the Forum,

I have owned one of these in the past and they are very well made but..............it is a big and quite heavy watch if you have small wrists like I have. You do need a large wrist to carry it off.

Serial number is good for 1978 but Omega serial numbers are not 100% accurate.

I am out of touch with prices for these but it seems reasonable around current price. It is difficult to get an original condition watch as a complete set with all original paperwork so this will up the final price a little.

Another similar alternative which is not quite so heavy is a Speedmaster Mark 2 but I think they were discontinued before 1978.

Good luck, Jack

 

Are you in the U.K.? For£2.5k I'd rather receive a pre owned Moonwatch than a vintage mk4.5

 

All the Speedmaster Mark Series are a bit marmite. Some love them but many more don't. I wouldn't buy one of those blind for someone.

 

Only problem there though is if it has to be a 1978 model, (or perhaps a -78 iteration) then the budget may be stretched rather. Finding a good 70s Speedy for £2.5K is a pretty big ask.

 

I took it as a -78 would be a bonus.

Either way, is compromise on the year before I compromised on the model. If you're looking at an Omega Speedmaster for what I presume is someone who isn't a watch collector, you're much better off with the original imo. As @padders saud, with your budget it will be tough to get a -78 so I'd get modern, pre owned.

 

Yes in the UK, the 78 is quite important

 

Thanks jack

 

That particular Speedmaster model (specifically, the style of the case) is loved by some, but not as widely popular as the more traditional case style of the Speedmaster Professional. Unless you are sure that the recipient likes this style of watch, I would steer towards something more classic. You will not be able to purchase a 1978 Speedy Pro within your budget, however, you could probably find a more modern version (ref 3570.50) at the top of your budget.

A Rolex Oyster Perpetual could also work, but I would tend to recommend a vintage Rolex DateJust if you can swing it. The DJ is slightly larger and is obviously a classic. A decent reference 1601/16014 or 1603/16030 from 1978 can probably be found at the top of your budget.

 

Thanks you for the advice

 

I’ve been looking for something from 1979 for myself and even I’m struggling to pin down what I want, buying watches/jewellery for someone else blind is very tricky (the reason I took my wife ring shopping when we got engaged!).
I would say for the budget you’d get a better condition Rolex datejust than Speedmaster but beware of shiny polished cases, eBay in particular is full of them.