How to Tell a Fake Omega Speedmaster

A fake Speedmaster is a watch built to look like an Omega Speedmaster but not made by Omega. Most fakes are automatic. Most use a copy of the ETA/Valjoux 7750 or a Seagull ST19. The genuine Moonwatch Professional is manual wind, 42 mm across, and carries three subdials and no date. Five checks catch most fakes: reference number, movement beat rate, bezel text, dial construction, and price.

1. Reference number

Every Speedmaster has a reference number. Steel hesalite Moonwatch models use these numbers:

  • 3570.50.00: hesalite Moonwatch, 1996 to 2014.
  • 311.30.42.30.01.005: hesalite Moonwatch, 2014 to 2021.
  • 310.30.42.50.01.001: hesalite Moonwatch with caliber 3861, 2021 to now.

The number appears on the caseback, the hang tag, and the pictogram card. A seller who cannot state a reference number is a risk. A card that lists a reference the watch does not match points to a swapped caseback or a swapped card.

2. Movement

The caliber 1861 has 18 jewels, a 48-hour power reserve, and beats 21,600 times per hour, or 3 Hz. The caliber 3861 has 26 jewels, a 50-hour power reserve, and the same 3 Hz beat. Omega certifies the 3861 as a METAS Master Chronometer.

A Valjoux 7750 copy beats 28,800 times per hour, or 4 Hz. The small seconds hand at 9 o'clock on that movement makes 8 ticks per second and stutters. The Moonwatch has no rotor and no automatic winding. An automatic movement inside a solid caseback is the wrong movement for a Moonwatch Professional.

3. Bezel and dial

  • The Moonwatch Professional has three subdials and no date. A date window at 3 or 4:30 means a Speedmaster Date or a fake. Omega did build Speedmaster Date and Speedmaster Automatic models, so ask for the reference before you decide.
  • Models made between 1970 and 2021 have the dot next to the 90 on the tachymeter bezel. The 2021 caliber 3861 model brought back the dot above the 90. A 2015 watch with a dot above the 90 has the wrong bezel.
  • The 3861 dial has a step at the outer edge. The 1861 dial is flat.
  • The hesalite crystal has a small Omega symbol etched at the center. It shows under a loupe with light at an angle. Fake crystals do not carry it.

4. Case and caseback

The Moonwatch Professional measures 42 mm across, 20 mm at the lugs, and about 13 mm to 14 mm thick. The caseback reads "FLIGHT-QUALIFIED, BY OMEGA" and "THE FIRST WATCH WORN ON THE MOON." The serial number is 8 digits. Older examples carry the number on the movement and the caseback.

The Speedmaster Reduced is a different watch. It measures 39 mm and runs an automatic movement. Sellers mix the two names, on purpose or by mistake.

5. Price

Omega lists a new steel Moonwatch above $6,000 in the US. A used 3570.50.00 sells for $3,000 to $5,000, based on condition, box, and papers. Replica Speedmasters sell for $150 to $600. A Moonwatch offered at $800 is not a genuine Omega.

6. Verification steps

  1. Ask a watchmaker to open the caseback. Movement stamps, finish, and the absence of a rotor give proof.
  2. Compare the serial number on the caseback with the number on the movement.
  3. Order an Extract from the Archives from Omega for older pieces. The service carries a fee.
  4. Check the pictogram card. Counterfeit cards exist, so match the card number to the watch.

A watch with the right reference, the right beat rate, a flat dial, a dot-next-to-90 bezel, and a manual-wind movement is very likely genuine. A watch that fails two or more of these checks is a fake.