What is a fake Omega Speedmaster Apollo 13?
A fake Omega Speedmaster Apollo 13 is a counterfeit copy of the Speedmaster Silver Snoopy Award, the watch Omega built to mark the Apollo 13 mission and the Silver Snoopy pin NASA crews gave the brand in 1970. Genuine examples are limited editions with documented reference numbers, piece counts, and service records. Counterfeits copy the look from photos and miss the parts a loupe or a watchmaker can see in seconds.
Which Speedmasters get called "Apollo 13"?
Three different watches sit under that name, and most fakes blend details from all three.
- 2003 Snoopy Award. A steel 42mm Speedmaster with a black dial and a small Snoopy figure printed in the running seconds subdial.
- 2015 Silver Snoopy Award. White dial, dark subdials, 42mm steel case, and a Snoopy in the 9 o'clock subdial. Omega made 1,970 pieces, one for each year since the award.
- 2020 50th anniversary model. A blue dial version with the Master Chronometer caliber 3861 and a caseback that shows an animated Snoopy.
Ask the seller which model you are looking at. A vague answer ("the Snoopy one") is a warning sign on its own.
How do you spot a fake Speedmaster Snoopy?
1. The dial
- Check Snoopy in the subdial first. On real watches the printing is sharp, the line weight is even, and the blue matches the Omega shade. Fakes show fuzzy edges and a flat, toy-like blue.
- Look for a date window. Genuine Silver Snoopy Speedmasters have no date. A date aperture at 3 or 6 o'clock means the maker used a stock movement that needed one.
- Read every line of text at 12 and 6. Fake dials misspell "Speedmaster", stretch the letters, or print the wrong font weight.
- Compare subdial positions. The three registers should sit at 3, 6, and 9 and line up with the case center.
2. The caseback
The 2015 Silver Snoopy Award uses a solid steel caseback with the Snoopy medallion in the center and engraved text tied to the 14-second burn. Real engraving cuts into the metal with crisp walls. Fakes show shallow laser marks and medallions that sit on top of the surface, sometimes glued.
The 2020 model has a sapphire caseback, so you can see the movement and the rotating Snoopy disc. Cloudy plastic sold as sapphire is an instant fail.
3. The movement
The 2015 Speedmaster runs on the hand-wound caliber 1861, a 3 Hz chronograph with a smooth sweep and a firm pusher feel. The 2020 version runs on the caliber 3861, a Master Chronometer certified by METAS.
- Start and stop the chronograph. The seconds hand should jump with no stutter.
- Reset it. The hand must snap back to 12 and stay there.
- Listen. A quartz tick or a rotor wobble on a hand-wound model is wrong.
- Count the beats. 21,600 vibrations per hour, or 6 per second, matches the 1861.
4. Case, crown, and bracelet
Genuine Speedmaster cases have sharp lug edges, even brushing, and a crown logo in deep relief. Fake cases feel light, show tool marks on the lugs, and use a crown that wobbles when you wind it. Bracelet end links on the real watch meet the case with no gap.
5. Papers, box, and price
A full set includes the outer box, inner box, travel case, card sleeve, and matching warranty cards. Serial numbers should match between the case and the card, and Omega can confirm a reference against its records.
Price is the fastest test. The 2015 Silver Snoopy Award sold for a few thousand dollars at launch and now trades far above that on the secondary market. A sealed example at half of market value is not a bargain.
Are "1:1" and "first copy" Apollo 13 Speedmasters real watches?
Shops that sell "1:1", "super clone", or "first copy" Speedmasters are selling counterfeits, whatever the listing claims. The best of them copy the dial layout and case shape, but they skip METAS testing, movement finishing, and brand service support. That gap shows up at resale, because a brand service center will refuse the watch and a dealer who finds one will treat it as counterfeit goods.
US law bans trafficking in counterfeit goods, and selling a fake as genuine is fraud. Buying a replica for personal use is a different question, but the watch will never hold collector value or carry a warranty.
Authentication checklist
- Confirm the exact model and limited-edition number with the seller in writing.
- Compare dial photos to official Omega images at high zoom.
- Check for a date window on any Silver Snoopy dial.
- Inspect caseback engraving depth and the medallion.
- Run the chronograph start, stop, and reset, and watch the sweep.
- Match the case serial to the warranty card.
- Have a watchmaker open the case and confirm the caliber.
- Compare the asking price to recent sold listings, not to other asking prices.
Steps five through seven catch almost every fake. If a seller blocks any of them, walk away.
FAQ
Did the Apollo 13 crew wear a Speedmaster?
Yes. The crew used the Omega Speedmaster to time a critical 14-second engine burn that corrected their course for the trip home. NASA astronauts gave Omega the Silver Snoopy Award in 1970 for that work, and the Snoopy watches take their name from that pin.
How many Snoopy Speedmasters did Omega make?
Production depends on the edition. The 2015 Silver Snoopy Award is a run of 1,970 pieces, and earlier and later Snoopy models have their own counts. Omega lists the numbers for each reference, so check the brand's own records before you trust a listing.
Can a fake Snoopy Speedmaster pass as real on a forum or at auction?
Not for long. Collectors photograph dials, casebacks, and movements at high zoom, and a wrong font or a glued medallion gets caught fast. Auction houses and dealers also verify serials with Omega before a sale completes.
Is a replica Speedmaster worth buying?
Only if you want the look and accept the trade-offs. A replica has no brand service, no warranty, no collector value, and no path to resale as a genuine watch.