zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

I was watching this Speedmaster for a few days, wondering if there might be a bargain to be had as it floated around $600 with less than a day to go.

The Pros: a potentially nice early 861 Speedmaster
The Cons: Non original bracelet, at least some crystal and casewear admitted by the seller, low feedback, and most of all, pics so bad that it seemed almost impossible to tell much about the condition of the watch, and, for that matter, whether it's real or not.
And of course, it's located in rural Hawaii, so the possibility of an in-hand inspection is low.

But despite the negatives, two bidders thought the thing worth more than $1,200, which is a stone's throw from what you can buy a later but nice and clean 861 Speedy for, without any of the questions.

So is the buyer paying a premium for the seemingly dubious and undocumented JoeDiMaggio/Frank Sinatra/NASA connection?

Is this a case of Ebay-itis of two bidders getting caught up in the frenzy?

Or is there a real premium for this early watch with the alternate caseback? (But aren't casebacks reasonably cheap and easily changed?)

Educate me, please.

best
Allen St. John