Reply With QuoteWhat a bargain! Looks like some laser welding is needed to fill those pits but even after fettling you'll come out on top. Well done that man.
This morning I woke after dreaming about finding a speedmaster mk2 at the boot sale. So I headed off to the booty for the first time in over a year only to find a speedmaster 4.5. I still cannot believe it!!! Needs a movement service as it's not running. Plus a good polish as it looks like it's been on a welders wrist. Anyway I paid the guy £160 which I think is cheap enough.
What a bargain! Looks like some laser welding is needed to fill those pits but even after fettling you'll come out on top. Well done that man.
Fake. You've been done, mate.
However, as it happens I could use the bracelet, so I'll give you a tenner profit and promise not to mention this to anyone.
(With the proviso that should it actually turn out to be a fake I can withdraw this. Looks good to me though - well done!).
Dreams do come true! Maybe one day...
Like it's Patina! Just get the movement fixed and leave the outside!
Wow that is some good luck! Hopefully the movement is in ok condition and just needs a service, be interesting to see it after it's been cleaned and serviced!
They look like pits in photos but actually are little blobs/ specks of weld should polish off no problem. Just need to sort a movement service as my friends a genius when it comes watch case polishing.Originally Posted by draftsmann
Wow! Well done.
Bonkers dream-reality link. Congrats!
Will post some pictures when it returns from the spa.
Well found!
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Great find,the dial and hands look good under the marked crystal ,well done!
Great find, there are plenty of undiscovered gems out there. With a knowledge and a lot of hunting they are out there.
Well done.
Fantastic find and it looks like it will clean up nicely. Well done :-)
Congrats amazing find, is it normal to have a seamaster caseback? (Sorry I am clueless)
Congratulations, will be great to see it restored.
Fantastic find!
Yes this seems completely normal on this model.
Well spotted young man !
All I found this morning were these. ..and a couple of paintings
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Very cool. Always go into these sales hoping for something like this but.. never happens for me.
Here are the paintings...
But the lot only cost me a fiver !!
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Thank you, love the zodiac clock very unusual.Well spotted young man !
All I found this morning were these. ..and a couple of paintings
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You have to get there really early.
Whilst the first sellers are setting up.
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Yes. It's Chinese years I think.
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Wow what a find, congrats and please don't tell me where it was as knowing my luck it'll be my local one! I hope you asked him whether he had any others at home.
Any chance of PM'ing me next week's lotto numbers? If this isn't a wind up(no pun intended) then that's just incredible!
That is an incredible find and what a bargain!! I gave up going to boot sales as I hardly ever saw any watches let alone decent makes. I've had a couple of 4.5's over the years and they wear really nicely with so much to look at on the dial.
Congratulations to you and hope it's straightforward getting it running.
Cheers
Neil
Not doubting your friends ability, but some of the pits could be deep enough to justify laser welding. Getting the grained finish right on these isn`t easy and ideally it's a job for a lapping machine.
The Lemania 5100 movement isn`t my favourite, they can be a moneypit if parts are required and there are a couple of (expensive) weak spots.
Taking account of all this, I`d bite the bullet and send it to STS. If it does need parts they're best placed to obtain them, and as far as I know they have lapping machine and laser welding capability. Even though Simon Freese has left they still have a lot of expertise. The alternative is to contact Simon himself, he's set up on his own and he may be interested in sorting this one.
Given the fact that you got the watch virtually free I wouldn`t try to cut corners or skimp on the restoration cost. It'll cost several £100s but you'll still be well ahead at the end. However, I`d qualify that by questioning how viable the case and bracelet are, you've stated that the damage is above the surface but it's still possible that there are numerous deep pits which might need a lot of laser welding work. Before throwing a significant amount of money at it you need to be convinced about how good the end result will be, if it's always going to be a compromised watch it'll never be worth a lot and the figures might not add up.
If I was doing this one I`d be very wary of taking too much metal off the case to address pitting, that's not the right way to go about it in my view. I`d strongly advise giving it to the experts to fully assess......and with stuff like this I don`t class myself as one of them!
Paul
I bet Omega would have a field day if you sent it to them for repair.
You'd probably end up paying for a new one !!
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Had it been my good fortune to have stumbled across such a bargain, I think my ambition would be to have it semi-restored up to a respectable, viewable, but not as-new condition then wear it as a sort of upmarket beater. Big advantage being that you wouldn't be over-bothered about the wear 'n tear of everyday use affect the potential value.
great find, and I think I'm going to have to get up earlier on a Sunday morning :)
looks like it has already seen some welding action...!
That wouldn't work for me. If I paid a pound or two for a Rolex say, I'd still look after it as if I had paid the market price !
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That's why I think the potential of the watch has to be fully established. If it's never going to be a fine example it makes sense to spend less on it and possibly subject it to more everyday use than if it was a minter. You can`t make a silk purse from a sows ear, for me it all depends how much damage has been done by the weld spatter and whether it's viable to get the finish on the case up to a high standard.
The bracelet may be cosmetically restorable but there's bound to be a lot of wear and tear on it to a point where it may be fit only for scrap. I`m not trying to piss on the OP's fireworks here, it's a bargain find and it's got potential.....but he question is how much potential. The value's in the watch head, the bracelet is secondary.
Paul
Thanks for all the information Paul. I will look simon freese up and contact him before I contact sts. Kind regards simon.
Great find👍, but why would you wear a great watch when doing something like welding!.
Cheers
Amazing find and what a luck. I was trying to find some gems at boot sales in the past, but only seen ridiculous fakes...
Congrats!
Well done and an excellent find.
Well found that man.
Do bear in mind that these are a case-in-case construction (the movement module presses straight out of the back of the tonneau shaped exterior case).
As such, it is almost irrelevant how much material is removed from the case front to re-establish the graining. You will not be removing material that holds the crystal or anything like that.
Good luck with the movement, I hope it is not corroded. However, if it is, I recommend getting a sacrificial L5100 from something very cheap.
Dave
The bracelet has some stretch which is expected. The clasp clicks nice and tight and is perfectly wearable. The case is strong and I'm fairly confident it will be a great example once polished. As soon as it's finished I will post pics and costs. I'm staying positive for now. 🤠
I'm wondering how this damage happened. You wouldn't strap the watch on top of protective clothing, and if it was unprotected on someone's bare wrist that tends to suggestion it was a misjudgment leading to a hospital visit.
Is it possible that it was already damaged and not running and had been left lying around in a workshop or garage when it got splattered during a welding session?
great find, my local car boot was only full of broken timex this morning.
Good points! I`ve done plenty of welding in the past and I`d never wear a metal watch whilst doing so....I`d be scared of arcing up onto the watch and burning myself! It's customary to wear gloves and overalls whilst welding, skin needs to be covered, so I`d expect the watch to be covered too.
Maybe the watch was left on the bench close to some welding work?....who knows.
Welding spatter on bare skin isn`t a great experience. Many years ago I burned my stomach whilst welding under a car sill using an arc welder. A blob of welding slag or weld dropped onto my overalls, burned straight through my shirt and rolled around my stomach, leaving burns along the way. I was like a bloody break dancer body-popping under the car............funny to look back on but I wasn`t smiling at the time!
Paul
Great find, wish I was that lucky.
Might start going to them in the hope I find a nice double red sea-dweller lol
....says the gentleman who found an Omega in the footwell of a car he had been given for nowt!
Dreams do come true! Well done, great find!
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Well, there is that...........says the gentleman who found an Omega in the footwell of a car he had been given for nowt!
This morning I woke after dreaming about finding a speedmaster mk2 at the boot sale. So I headed off to the booty for the first time in over a year only to find a speedmaster 4.5. I still cannot believe it!!! Needs a movement service as it's not running. Plus a good polish as it looks like it's been on a welders wrist. Anyway I paid the guy £160 which I think is cheap enough.
Think £500-£600 worth of repair/care you've got a smasher.
Well jelaous
Mozza
Well done and what a fantastic find.
Well I also ended up with a Fred Perry man bag! Much to the amusement of the kids.
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