Modded Speedy - Mitsukoshi yes or no?

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Re: Modded Speedy - Mitsukoshi yes or no?

Post by Lavaine »

Thanks for sharing your collection Gary, as well as your rationale for each of the mods. Your Broad Arrow / Gemini mod is probably still my favourite Speedy mod, but I've always been a sucker for blue.
Soporsche, I'm going to echo what others have said. If you like the watch, and are comfortable with its provenance and price, then you should buy it. One of the nice things about it is that it is a mod, not a franken, and could easily be restored to original with easily obtainable 3570 hands and dial.
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Re: Modded Speedy - Mitsukoshi yes or no?

Post by jtc »

I'd be like

Image
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Re: Modded Speedy - Mitsukoshi yes or no?

Post by Soporsche »

Great feedback as always from everyone. Gary your collection and pics are amazing, thanks also for your comments and definitions. You have all helped to silence the doubting voices re the mod side of it, ok it not exactly the white white chrono Ive been looking for but very attractive indeed and wanted a speedy in collection for a while..
I'll let you all know if it happens (pending answers re paperwork etc) and post pics if it does. Thanks again all.
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Re: Modded Speedy - Mitsukoshi yes or no?

Post by Magnus »

Something to keep in mind if resale value is your issue - make sure you get the original dial and hands in the deal.

When you decide to sell - have a watchmaker change the speedy back into the 'original' and sell it. You can then sell the Mitsukoshi dial and hands separately.
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Re: Modded Speedy - Mitsukoshi yes or no?

Post by Soporsche »

Yep, future resale is part of the buying consideration.
Unfortunately the original hands and dial are not available with the watch, they were part of swap out deal! There are 2 sets of hands; steel fitted as per Mitsukoshi and also an official Omega white set as the current owner was considering changing the silver subs as he preferred white but didnt get round to it.
Re the dial, guess I could always buy standard one and sell the Mitsukoshi dial to cover it if I sell watch at some point in future.. Or sell as is!
Got an email response from watchmaker confirming works completed/authenticity of original parts, quoting serial number etc. indicates he would be happy to post something in writing too. Step closer, just awaiting couple more bits of info to complete picture.
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Re: Modded Speedy - Mitsukoshi yes or no?

Post by Viognier »

Excited to see this develop (hopefully with a Mitsukoshi on your wrist ! )
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Re: Modded Speedy - Mitsukoshi yes or no?

Post by timor54 »

Funnily enough an unused Mitsubishi dial has just popped up for sale on the TZ-UK forum for £650...
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Re: Modded Speedy - Mitsukoshi yes or no?

Post by Soporsche »

Original dials are getting quite thin on the ground now. I think that seems a fair/market price (after lots of research in past week :D ). It was a common mod when parts were available and therefore cheaper, a few years ago, bit less now.
An assembled Mitsukoshi sold on ebay yesterday: Omega service case (no serial No.) fitted with Omega service movement (with serial No.), genuine Mitsu dial, Omega stem/cover, Omega white and black hands, so not correct as per Mitsu, condition immaculate/as new, with receipts etc.. for bid £2310 which i think is a bit of a bargain as could be considered almost a NOS as long as clearly described.
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Re: Modded Speedy - Mitsukoshi yes or no?

Post by Fat-Sam »

ImageI own one and it really is the best looking watch I've owned, it has the strap monster ability of all speedys but looks in a different world (or moon...)

I got a new hands and dial set, for more than I'd intended to pay, but it was going on a nearly new speedy pro that is still in warranty so I wanted it to be perfect.

I cant tell you how pleased I was when I picked it up from my watchmaker. The pie pan and applied logo/indices make it look a watch far far more expensive and luxurious. But it's got the wonderful manual winding tool watch feel every morning. It looks great in the new omega bracelet and on natos but on a brown leather strap it really wins for me.

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Re: Modded Speedy - Mitsukoshi yes or no?

Post by Viognier »

Soporsche wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 9:41 am Great feedback as always from everyone. Gary your collection and pics are amazing, thanks also for your comments and definitions. You have all helped to silence the doubting voices re the mod side of it, ok it not exactly the white white chrono Ive been looking for but very attractive indeed and wanted a speedy in collection for a while..
I'll let you all know if it happens (pending answers re paperwork etc) and post pics if it does. Thanks again all.
Might you have any updates for us?
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Re: Modded Speedy - Mitsukoshi yes or no?

Post by Soporsche »

Fat-Sam wrote: Sun Nov 17, 2019 12:47 am ImageI own one and it really is the best looking watch I've owned, it has the strap monster ability of all speedys but looks in a different....
That looks truly lovely, congrats on a fabulous watch.
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Re: Modded Speedy - Mitsukoshi yes or no?

Post by Soporsche »

Viognier wrote: Sun Nov 17, 2019 4:51 pm
Soporsche wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 9:41 am
Might you have any updates for us?
Hi Guys
Sorry ive been amiss in not providing an update after all your input.
I received the last piece of the puzzle on Friday as there were some questions over serial number..
Long story short, the provenance I thought the watch had was not as strong/authentic as I (and I believe the seller) believed. The price was quite attractive (for a fully provenanced Speedy/Mitsu) but not a 'gift'. The seller is reluctant to lower and take a hit despite the new info as he paid quite a lot.
I nearly talked myself into it as heart wanted it but logic won and have decided not to proceed.
The overall design is extremely attractive to me so will keep an eye out for a Mitsukoshi (conversion) if the right one comes along at the right £/$/€.
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Re: Modded Speedy - Mitsukoshi yes or no?

Post by Warren83 »

gaf1958 wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 1:16 am To me, there is nothing wrong with modding a watch (I’ll give my definition of modding shortly) and, within certain behavioural parameters, there is nothing wrong with what some call “Frankenwatches” - again I’ll define my view on that shortly.

“Frankens”... these are watches that have been built from parts of other watches to look exactly like a standard watch. In most cases, people don’t care. When it may become an issue is when the result, if genuine, would be a highly desirable watch, but one where pedigree and provenance are key to its value. These are not fakes in the conventional sense, but can nonetheless be represented to be something they are not.

I own or have owned a few of what could be called Frankens. If you know, upfront, that they were not produced from the factory in the same way that they now appear, I have no problem. At all. Represent it as an original, then you’re talking shady. Some of my Frankens have been NOS builds; that is watches made up completely of genuine, brand new factory spare parts.

To me there is no way these could ever be viewed as having potentially come off a production line some fifty years ago - they look as though they were made yesterday. And that’s part of their appeal to me; having a brand new “50 year old” parts watch on my wrist is pretty damned cool. I don’t pretend they’re anything but that. I do however, have have real issues with people who pretend otherwise when selling said watches. Therein lies the danger of watches such as this...

Here’s are some that I’ve owned or still own.

Speedmaster MkII (now sold)

Image

Watchco built Seamaster 300

Image

The speedy in question in the original post is another category of Frankens - one existing watch made to look like another, by the judicious use of spare parts. No problem with that - again, I’ve owned one of these:

Speedmaster 35th Anniversary LE Franken

Image

To me, if you like the watch and you know its provenance up front, don’t let that hold you back from buying it. Particularly if the price is right, which it usually is for these - the often less valuable than the standard ones...

Then we get to Modding. My definition is changing the appearance of a watch to make it look different to the standard model. The reasons for modding are legion. I have two main drivers, aesthetics and usability.

Aesthetics... here are some examples. Electric blue SMPs have a polished bezel. “Hmm, I can improve that” says my brain, so every electric blue SMP I’ve ever owned has had a blue bezel fitted.

Image

Likewise, both of the white SMPs that I’ve owned have had the standard polished bezel replaced with a black one...

Image

On a similar theme, my white and blue Broad Arrow Speedy came from the factory with a polished stainless bezel. Mine is now fitted with a blue Gemini LE bezel.

Image

Usability... One of my bugbears is that watch faces should be able to be read at a glance, without having to tip it back and forth, seeking to get reflections on the hands so that I can see them against the dial.

My Gemini LE (a real one, by the way) has been modded with a set of orange hands from a seventies model. No problems seeing these little buggers, something that could not be said of the standard polished steel ones - which are safely stored away should I ever decide to sell this (I’m not).

Image

These are only some of the Omegas that I’ve modded. Get into Seikos and.... whew.
Dug this out of the ether and wanted to ask what strap that is on your Watchco speedy? I've got mine on an Uncle Seiko bracelet at the moment but this strap works really well
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Modded Speedy - Mitsukoshi yes or no?

Post by gaf1958 »

Warren83 wrote:Dug this out of the ether and wanted to ask what strap that is on your Watchco speedy? I've got mine on an Uncle Seiko bracelet at the moment but this strap works really well
The one on the “35th Anniversary” Speedy is an aftermarket alligator strap to fit the Omega deployant clasp (so 100/105mm length, 20/18 wide). I bought it years ago, so unfortunately I cannot remember where I got it from (sorry). It’s a very comfy strap that has done duty on several other watches.
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