What is a transitional Speedmaster?
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- In 1969 Omega moved from the Calibre 321 movement to 861 for its Speedmasters. In a short period they made the new 861 powered Speedmaster with a dial design identical to the previous reference, the 145.012.
This short lived model is known as the "Transitional" and is highly sought after by collectors. So it is important to make sure that if you are buying one the watch has all the correct attributes that make it a Transitional.
I still have my Speedmaster that was given to me as a BD gift about 10 days after Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon with his Speedmaster. Sometime in the late 80s or early 90s I retuned it to Omega in NYC for a "tune-up". Some of the radioactive paint was flaking off the sweep second-hand. For $300 Omega gave me a new Hazilte crystal that was less prone to scratching. They also replace the sweep second hand with a newer version that didn't flake. Omega replaced the plungers and rubber grommets, or seals. They also gave me a brand new more modern wristband. All for $300. That's more than what the watch cost at the time. They cleaned the inside and returned all the parts in a small paper envelope, except the sweep second hand. They also returned a part of the old bracelet. I don't belive Omega realized at the time that this watch was going to be this iconic. I belive my watch, an .861, was built in about October of 1968 and wasn't sold until July of 1969.
My watch still runs perfectly. It has very few scratches and looks almost brand new after I buff the crystal with Polywatch. I wish they would have returned the original sweep secondhand, but I guess they thought it was garbage at the time. Who knew?
Nice video. Had to dash off and grab my 68' transitional out of it's box for a quick comparison.
"Wind me up and watch me go" - superb as always, thank you. incidentally, it felt like at circa 3'12" i put my glasses on.
Thanks for another episode William. Love these, total respect for your knowledge and your sharing of it. Best of health to you and yours.
Looking forward to the next one.
YES! I am with Stefano! I'd LOVE A Video on those "Flat Link" Bracelets. I Do have the 1st Ed of the " MOONWATCH ONLY" Book, but i'd like to see some of those bracelets you obviously have. You have THEE BEST Watch Show on RUclips BAR NONE!!!
Recently, the best Speedmaster-related items have been thirdparty, such as the steel mesh & flat link bracelets by Forstnerbands and the 60-minutes bezel by Radialproject
True
Great video !!! Left you a message on your website since I’m seeking a short advice on a 145.022-69 I’m considering to purchase.
just binge watched your stuff. I am in the market for a 145.022-74
Thanks a lot for all the effort you put in the web site and the video, they are really helpfull
Best of luck! The -74 came in a step dial and no step. Not easy to find
So happy to see a new video! Please keep doing these. They are fantastic
Thank you!
Great content as always Captain Speedy! Your knowledge sharing is very much appreciated.
My pleasure!
I Have one exactly as that one with dark brown dial, same year
lovely
I've been working my way through this series and absolutely loving it. So much info in these that I'm probably going to have to rewatch several times. Thanks!
Glad you enjoy it!
Thanks for making these videos. They are really helpful and informative. Please keep them coming.
Glad you like them!
Finally a new video! Hope you're doing well William.
Thanks, you too! Its been a busy summer!
With regards to the variations in black: you could get a Pantone swatch book and you will almost certainly find a reference for the shade of black. Pantone provide an international standard for printing colours. These books are quite expensive, but they are calibrated to look the same anywhere in the world.
I did not think of that. It would take my obsession to a whole new level, Pantoning the blacks....
I’m loving your videos because I always wanted a speedmaster and I’m saving to get one. Could you tell us how you got into speedmasters to start and how and why you buy the ones you do
Will do
thanks william, enjoying your vids, cheers
Glad you like them!
Great to see a new video,any chance of a review of the Italian market Soyuz Speedmaster? Thankyou.
Possibly! There is some discussion around these but I would be happy to share what I know
Another great video, William. Would love to see you do a video on the Mark II racing dial which I feel is wildly undervalued and under appreciated. (I’m very much biased as I have a lovely example, but would be interested in your take on it).
Great suggestion! I do like the MkII and I will prepare something.
Looking forward to it. Cheers!
William! great videos. Can i propose you do a video on bracelet references for vintage Speedmasters? that is not anywhere on yt and would be very interesting!
Possibly! Bracelets are more involved than people think, they are after all the most physically stressed part of a watch. So just because it is correct, it is possibly very worn and not worth paying a premium for.
Great videos. Correct me if I'm wrong about the dials being exactly the same. The thickness and length of the 2/10 sec marker are slightly different. It can probably be best seen when you have both side-by-side. Doesnt the 321 look slightly longer and narrower than the 861.
Only differences for me was one chron hand was tear drop, other was square. One 1039 bracelet is polished, the other is brushed.
love your videos, William! any chance you could do one on ‘ghost’ dials?
Great suggestion! Ghost dials? Do you mean Ghost bezels? I am not sure what you mean by a ghost dial, though intrigued if you have something....
ah - I indeed meant ghost bezels! although ghost dials...
Great video! Question, how much less is a ‘68 worth with a DNN bezel? If the dial is in great shape, is it still worth buying at the “right” price? Thanks!
Yes, absolutely - it all depends how attractive the rest of the watch is, and how much you are prepared to spend on a correct bezel, if you can even find one.
Unfortunately, you can now find (otherwise really nice) transitional with a 2000s bezel.
I think it should reduce the price as you may never be able to get the correct bezel for it.
William Speedmaster101 Thanks for the reply, seems like the perfect way to get a ‘68 on sale! Such a beautiful dial and such a small difference in the bezel 😁
Of course you are right, and we should not care so much about the bezel, but iirc that one was still above 7500 euro.
Bernhard Koenig exactly, thanks to our good friend’s (101) price chart, looks like a “good+” dial ‘68 with DN90 would be a good value at ~5-6k?
Yes, great videos, absolutely!
How about talking bracelets? E.g. I have a 78 that came with a mint 1039. Could it still be original to the watch?
Do you have a date mark on the 1039? I would not normally think a 1039 was originally fitted to a -78 watch, itself likely to have been released from factory 1979 or later.
@@Speedmaster101It seems there is no date stamp. Looks very similar to this one: omegaforums.net/threads/1039-bracelet-no-date-stamped.79860/
The movement is actually a 39.185.xxx which is also quite early for a 78. Maybe an extract would shed some light.
なるほど🤔
I have a question about serial numbers should I message you privately
you can contact me at william@speedmaster101.com