Short answer
Omega never sold a watch named the "Apollo 13." The phrase covers two commemorative Speedmaster Professional models: a 35th anniversary edition from 2005 and the 2015 Speedmaster Apollo 13 Silver Snoopy Award. Fakes of both exist. Most run a Chinese hand-wound chronograph movement, copy caseback engraving from press photos, and fail on the silver Snoopy medallion and the subdial geometry.
What Apollo 13 has to do with the Speedmaster
Apollo 13 launched on April 11, 1970. Oxygen tank No. 2 in the service module exploded on April 13. The crew, Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise, moved into the lunar module and shut down the command module guidance computer to save power. Midcourse corrections then had to be timed by hand. Swigert timed a 14-second burn with his Speedmaster. NASA had qualified the Speedmaster for crewed flight in 1965 after tests at the Manned Spacecraft Center.
NASA gave Omega the Silver Snoopy Award in 1970. The pin is a sterling silver Snoopy in a space suit. Astronauts award it for work that improves flight safety.
The references replicas copy
- Speedmaster Professional Apollo 13 35th Anniversary, 2005. Steel case, 42 mm, black dial, hand-wound movement, caseback engraving for the mission anniversary.
- Speedmaster Apollo 13 Silver Snoopy Award, 2015, reference 311.32.42.30.04.001. Steel case, 42 mm, calibre 1861, 1970 pieces. Sapphire caseback with a sterling silver Snoopy medallion and a 14-second inscription.
- Speedmaster Silver Snoopy Award 50th Anniversary, 2020. Adds an animated caseback with a moving Earth and Snoopy.
How the replicas are built
Most fake Speedmasters use the Seagull ST19 family of hand-wound chronograph movements. The ST19 descends from the Venus 175 design. It has the same three-register layout as the calibre 1861: running seconds at 9, 30-minute counter at 3, 12-hour counter at 6. The gear positions differ, so the subdials do not sit at the same distance from the center and the pushers land at a different height on the case flank.
Cases are CNC-machined stainless steel at 42 mm across with 20 mm lugs. Bezels are aluminum or coated steel. Dials are printed and lume is stenciled or applied by hand.
Where fakes fail
- Movement. The genuine 1861 and 3861 use a cam-operated chronograph with a specific pusher travel and reset snap. The ST19 feels different and sounds different.
- Caseback. The 2015 Silver Snoopy Award carries a solid sterling silver medallion. Fakes use plated base metal and shallow laser engraving.
- Subdial spacing and hand length. The 30-minute counter hand on a genuine watch reaches the edge of the minute track.
- Lume. Current Omega models use Super-LumiNova that glows blue-green and holds for hours. Fake lume fades in minutes.
- Bezel dot. The dot next to the 90 marker moved position across eras. Fakes often pair a dot-over-90 bezel with a dial from another year.
- Numbers. Genuine Speedmasters carry a reference and serial number on the caseback and, on some references, between the lugs.
- Weight and finish. Brushed and polished surfaces on a genuine case meet at sharp, straight lines.
Price range
Replica Speedmasters sell from about $120 for a quartz model to $600 for a high-grade ST19 build with a sapphire crystal and a decorated caseback. The genuine 2015 Silver Snoopy Award trades in the five-figure range on the secondhand market. The 2020 50th anniversary model also trades above its original retail price.
Legal notes
Selling counterfeit watches is illegal in the United States under the Trademark Counterfeiting Act, 18 U.S.C. 2320. US Customs and Border Protection can seize counterfeit goods at the border. Federal penalties target sellers and importers.