Vintage Speedmaster Mark II Question

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Hi, everyone. This is such a fantastic forum and I’m hoping you can help me quickly confirm something. Here’s a picture of a Speedy 145.014 that is available in an auction. The auction house lists it having an “Omega” bracelet, but this doesn’t resemble any Speedy bracelet that I’ve seen. Am I right in being cautious here? Thanks!
 
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Thanks. That bracelet does look similar.
 
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The hands don't look original either, they might be service items. The dial looks surprisingly clear and vibrant too, it may also be a service item.
What sort of clasp is on it?
 
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The starburst has also been polished off the face of the bezel.

Might be a good candidate for an actual omega service, it would definitely look better as there is not a lot of originality here to preserve.
 
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Run Forest Run

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Unless you can get it for $800 US stay away. Omega refurbishment will be at least $1000.00 US. That's an estimate based on service two years ago.
 
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Omega service = expensive, but it would come back looking like it just left the factory. If you get a beat up mk2 for cheap, it's a viable option. Depends on what it would cost to acquire.
 
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Thanks everyone. The estimate is $1000 to $2000 and these kinds of things can go for more than they’re worth in this hot market. Factoring in the bracelet and it’s a pass.
 
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The 145.014 came with two bracelets - ref 1162 and ref 1159. The ones that crop up at auction often don't have their original bracelets. The cases are often over polished, like the one in your pic. Here's an interesting article about restoring a MKII by Chuck Maddox.
I notice the hour indices on your dial are white - these would have been tritium originally, which would have aged to a yellow or greenish colour (the latter seems to be very common on these MkII's).
https://chronomaddox.com/markiireborn.html
 
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The 145.014 came with two bracelets - ref 1162 and ref 1159. The ones that crop up at auction often don't have their original bracelets. The cases are often over polished, like the one in your pic. Here's an interesting article about restoring a MKII by Chuck Maddox.
I notice the hour indices on your dial are white - these would have been tritium originally, which would have aged to a yellow or greenish colour (the latter seems to be very common on these MkII's).
https://chronomaddox.com/markiireborn.html
Really good bracelet info and link. Thank you!
 
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Omega service = expensive, but it would come back looking like it just left the factory. If you get a beat up mk2 for cheap, it's a viable option. Depends on what it would cost to acquire.
Your statement may not be entirely true. I sent a Speedmaster 4.5 to Omega, Beinne for restoration. This is a basket case of a watch that had water intrusion. Bad rust. The estimate was $950. The cost ended up being slightly more. A great deal considering what they had to start with (paid $800.00?). When I got the watch back I was severely disappointed. The case and bracelet were not restored. Turns out that the case had received a previous restoration and there was not enough material to do a full restoration/re-lapping.
The watch in question has had some polishing, so a full cosmetic restoration may not be possible. Given this watch is missing a bracelet, it seems to me a hard pass.
Pic is of my Omega restored Speedmaster 4.5
 
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Here is a pic of my 1973 MKII Racing dial which was bought new by me 48 years ago. It was overhauled by Nesbit's earlier this year ($850, incl a case refurbishment) but still has the original hands and dial. You can see the aged color of the tritium. Crystal dates from its previous overhaul in 1980.

Unless the OP can buy that MKII very cheap it would be a hard pass for me. There are far better MKII's out there that would be better projects.
Edited:
 
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Here is a pic of my 1973 MKII Racing dial which was bought new by me 48 years ago. It was overhauled by Nesbit's earlier this year ($850, incl a case refurbishment) but still has the original hands and dial. You can see the aged color of the tritium. Crystal dates from its previous overhaul in 1980.

Unless the OP can buy that MKII very cheap it would be a hard pass for me. There are far better MKII's out there that would be better projects.
Gorgeous watch!
 
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When I got the watch back I was severely disappointed. The case and bracelet were not restored. Turns out that the case had received a previous restoration and there was not enough material to do a full restoration/re-lapping.

The lapping process tends to remove a lot more material than polishing on a typical polishing wheel does, so these lapped cases tend to have a finite "life" to them that is reached much earlier than cases that are not lapped.

I've seen Mk. II cases that were lapped to near disaster in one go, with the sharp corner of the lug very close to breaking through the case, when there was plenty of material there to start with.
 
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hands look wrong. too blunt. may just be the pic.
that is only one issue though, the folks above already stated this though...
heres a photo of one with originals i found from a respected site.