I spotted this on Ebay, closed 9th March 2020
Ebay continues to provide all sorts of interesting speedmasters, good and bad. The one thing I love is that we see a wide range, but also we see where the support in the market lies. This watch is complete rubbish and sold for $6,300 in spite of coming from a South American country and all the risks that involves regarding delivery.
$6,300 is a substantial amount of money to put down, when you consider the risks. specifically the watch is coming from Venezuela, it has no confirmation that the movement is an Ed White, and the condition is very poor, so that we cannot be sure of a substantial improvement after a sympathetic service – though no doubt if done properly it will come better.
The original listing is here, though I am reproducing a lot of photos as these ebay links often don’t last.
Most striking from the photo is the blue bezel, the incorrect hands and the otherwise poor condition.
The Dial
The Bezel
This bezel has a blue tint to it, and there are some collectors who enjoy this. I personally don’t but I do not criticize someone who does. The blue colour is dependent on the light quality and angle and is variable – the seller has managed to capture this.
I would say the quality of this bezel is poor, based on the surface damage and the left side damage, but that people will value it becasue of the colour.
The Case
The case shows some minor corrosion at the lip. I believe the case is correct. I am concerned but that metal ring in the case back.
The pushers and crown may well be original – but I am not certain about the pushers. If I was the buyer it would not matter as I would replace them with correct Omega service items.
The Movement
This looks fairly clean and in good condition. There is some obvious corrosion on the regulator and also on some other white metal parts. The copper coloured parts are clean and in good condition. I have seen a lot worse out of South America!
Screws are pretty good, and this movement will come good with the right service.
AS this does not have an extract, the buyer will be gambling that it is indeed and Ed White movement, as this affects the value greatly.
The hands
These are obviously incorrect, and I think they are from a MkII. This is a common thing to see, especially in Speedmasters from far flung locations where presumably watchmakers throw on what they can get.
Conclusion
We can grade each part on this watch:
- Dial – Poor
- Bezel – Poor
- Case – Fair
- Movement – Good, Improvable by Service
- Bracelet: nothing
- Blue Bezel: ?+400
- Dial: Potential for relume and a good looking dial? +$????
- Risk of location?
- Risk of Extract failure?
- Case back ring – is it a sign of an irreparable issue?