I’m going to open the kimono a bit on this one and let you guys in on a dirty secret – I, too, buy watches purely to flip them. I don’t do it often. Most times, if I’m flipping something it’s because I bought something (at a nice price) to essentially “test drive” and see if I connect with it. If I don’t, it goes out the door. But if I do, then I found a great piece at a great price. This one falls in neither category though. I had already owned three Speedmaster Professionals and two straight lugs. I was already well-read and knew exactly how it would fit on the wrist. I also knew that I didn’t need it because I loved my 145.022-68 Transitional so much. In a collection that seems to have been in nothing but expansion-mode for the past couple years, I’m finally starting to focus on paring back redundancies where I can, and this was a watch that clearly didn’t have a place.
With all of that said, it was super honest, undervalued by 30%, and came from a pawn shop on eBay that had received three Speedmasters from the original owner (one of which was a 2998 that had already sold). It checked out from the standpoint of “buying the seller,” and was an opportunity to upgrade my camera equipment for free. As a capitalist at heart, it was a no brainer!
The Nitty Gritty
This pre-moon cal 321 Speedmaster is a fantastic example. The dot-over-ninety bezel is in mint condition, the condition of the lume plots and handset are nearly perfect, and the case is sharp. There are two small nicks / dents on the case, but overall it’s in very honest shape and appears to have never been polished. It also went to a good home that had been searching for “the perfect 145.012 for over a year,” which always makes you feel good as the seller.
