Goods with a story...

I always think that the true test of something you own is how it grows with you, how it fares over time, and how it's history or story increases it's value to you. As someone who spends his time in product development, it is this integrity I hope to one day achieve in my own products.

From my Horsehide Barnstormer, my Laguiole pocket knife, my Alden NST's or my Evis "Do Konjyo" garrison belt, I have a few of these things that I love more and more the longer I own them. All of them have their history that makes them irreplaceable to me, and I think that history would make them attractive to other like minded people.

The latest piece I have to add to that list is (another) vintage Omega. A transitional 861 Speedy to be exact, but a rebuilt monster that I would have over any perfectly preserved example.

6 or so months ago I bought for a very reasonable price what I thought was a stock standard Mark II Speedy online. It arrived and looked a bit off, so I took it to my watchmaker to find out the story. What it was, to my surprise, was a 861 transitional Speedmaster - applied logo, tritium dial etc. badly fitted into a Mark II case, with a very precisely, but not Omega applied, Mark II logo.

I thought the best I could do with this piece is bring it back to life to be my everyday watch, so the hunt was on to find all the requisite parts.

First was the case - a 145.022 was what it needed, but that was out of the question. I bought what I thought was a 145.0022 online, but it turned out to be a 145.0055. The difference, I do not know.

The bezel was absent, so I traded the Mark II case for a new Telemeter bezel with the good folks down at Watchco in Melbourne. They threw in a crown for good measure, and my great friened Mr Sintic began the work of restoring it.

Yesterday I picked it up and it is better than even I hoped. The Mark II is still written there - we couldnt get it off without damaging the dial, but in some ways I'm glad - it reminds me of the work I went through to get it on to my wrist...