The best way to spot fake Omega Speedmaster watches is to look at the movement. The authentic pieces are mechanical, and most of the fake ones are quartz watches.
1. Movement
The authentic watch makes a sound that is a “click”, and that makes the seconds’ hand move several times in between the passing of a second.
The seconds hand will move exactly once in between the passing of a second.
The fake watch makes a sound like a “tick-tock” from one second to another, and that’s something you’ll never see and hear on an authentic watch.
This, of course, has to do with the quartz mechanism being used in a large number of replicas.
Want the expert's opinion? Let our Omega authenticators check your watch:
2. Sub-dials
The fake watch has its sub-dials placed too far one from another.
The fake sub-dials look like they were painted on the main dial, with no embossment when it comes to the sub-dials margins.
The legitimate Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch has its sub-dials margins embossed on the main dial. Furthermore, the content of the sub-dials looks different and of higher quality than those that can be found on the replica item.
Here’s another comparison:
The fake watch does not have its sub-dial margins embossed on the main dial.
Keep in mind that this is one of these flaws that authentic watches will never present, as it is a really good trust factor of authenticity.
3. Dial
A flaw that may seem obvious is that the fake watches sometimes don’t present the right inscription.
A number of replica items available on the market are presenting the “Seamaster” inscription on the dial, which… is not the right inscription, since we’re talking about a “Speedmaster” model.
With this being said, remember that you are authenticating the Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch and not the Seamaster series.
Let’s look at another comparison:
The fake watch has its inscriptions at the wrong thickness.
The fake watch has its “PROFESSIONAL” text using a different font than the authentic watch.
This flaw is the easiest visible if you look at the “PROFESSIONAL” text, where you can notice how the fake watch has its letters too thick.
At 12 o’clock, you will see that the font and its size are totally different than the one that can be found on the genuine Omega Speedmaster.
4. Dial spacing
4.1. Top markers
The fake watch has its markers improperly positioned.
The fake Speedmaster has its markers too close to the dial’s margin.
In fact, this tell has to do again with the replica watch’s movement that does not replicate the genuine one and obliges the manufacturers to “squeeze” all the elements on the watch’s dial.
The authentic markers are bigger in size. They are also placed at a larger distance from the rehaut than the fake watch’s markers.
4.2. Bottom markers
The fake watch still has its markers smaller, thicker and placed too close to the rehaut.
You can also notice the “SWISS MADE” text that looks very squeezed in that empty area.
Looking at the authentic watch, you can see how its markers are bigger and thinner, as well as how there is more blank space from the bottom of the markers to the rehaut.
A quick mention:
The steps we’ve written so far are the BEST ways to authenticate this item
The next few steps are still reliable methods…
… but they apply to non-top-versions of replicas available for this item
If in doubt, we recommend double-checking the steps we’ve explained above this line.
5. Bezel
5.1. Numbers
The fake Omega watch has all of its inscriptions at the wrong thickness.
The counterfeit-produced Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch has its “60” inscription at the top looking too thick, and all of the other numbers looking too thin.
Back to the authentic Omega, you can notice how all of its inscriptions are at the same font weight, and no number is thicker or thinner than the other.
Another flaw that we’ve spotted on the fake watch’s numbers is that they are misplaced.
If you look at the fake Omega Speedmaster’s “500” text, you can notice how it looks a bit too small due to its placement, as it is placed too much to the left of the bezel.
Yet again, the authentic Omega watch proves its quality by having all of its inscriptions in the same size, unlike the fake watch’s smaller numbers.
5.2. TACHYMÈTRE
The “TACHYMÈTRE” text on the replica item is wrong as there is no accent on the “È”.
6. Clasp
The fake Omega Speedmaster has its “PROFESSIONAL” text missing.
Now you may be questioning whether this is really a top-quality replica or not, and believe us…
This is one of them! Just as on the dial’s text, there are really small mistakes like these which often occur on fake watches.
In fact, there are even funnier mistakes on some of the fake watches, as they don’t even present this inscription at all.
Check out this example:
The fake watch does not have its inscriptions present on the clasp.
Even though this was a lower-quality replica, we’ve highlighted this model so as for you to remember that there are actually replicas like these floating on the market.
7. Lume effect
The fake watch really doesn’t have its glow-in-the-dark effect at all.
Looking at the authentic watch, you can notice how it glows in the dark in a really nice and powerful manner, highlighting a colourful aqua-green.
Some of the replicas have the lume effect, however, it is noticeably less powerful. Keep an eye on this tell, too!
8. Minute hand
The fake watch has the minute hand too short on the fake watch.
Easily noticeable when looking at the distance between the tip of the minute hand and the markers on the dial.
The minute hand has its tip flat on the replica Omega Speedmaster, while on the genuine item, you will see a sharp arrow representing the tip of the minute hand.
Discussing the distance again, and looking at the genuine Omega Speedmaster watch, you can see how its minute hand almost touches the markers present on the dial.
Shortlist: Authenticate your Omega Speedmaster
Look at the movement of your watch. In most cases, the fake watches have the wrong mechanism and they make the sound of “tick-tock” instead of the authentic “click” sound every second. The genuine item’s second hand will always “click” several times between two consecutive seconds.
Verify the sub-dials of your watch. The replica Omega Speedmaster watches almost always have their sub-dial margins painted, instead of being recessed/embossed. Also, take a look at the distance between any of the sub-dials.
Check the text on the dial of your watch, and make sure that the text uses the right font and thickness.
Inspect the shape of the markers all around the dial of the watch. The replica watches usually have their markers too big, too thick, and placed too close to the rehaut (e.g.: the space between the dial’s margin and the markers is too narrow).
Analyze the inscriptions on the bezel of your watch. The fake watches have their numbers too thick or too thin and they often miss the accent on the “TACHYMÈTRE”.
Look at the logo and text engraved on the clasp of your watch, as the fake watches don’t always have the right inscriptions.
Check your watch for its lume effect, because fake items don’t replicate it perfectly, or don’t replicate it at all.
Have a look at the minute’s hand length. The replica Omega Speedmaster watches commonly have their hand shorter, thus too far from the markers on the dial.
The comprehensive eight steps provided above for distinguishing real vs fake Omega Speedmaster watches might not be the most feasible when you’re pressed for time or considering an online purchase.
To address this, we’ve assembled a rapid 60-second solution for conducting a legitimate check on your Omega Speedmaster watch.
Above, you’ll find the leading eight indicators that can aid you in determining whether you possess an authentic Omega Speedmaster watch or a counterfeit one.
Expert Omega Speedmaster authentication
Should you require assistance in verifying the authenticity of your Omega Speedmaster watch, rest assured that we are here to provide support.
To proceed, kindly share high-quality images of your Omega Speedmaster watch. Following your submission of images and pertinent information, we will promptly furnish you with the results within a maximum of 48 hours.
The outcome will be accompanied by a detailed report outlining the rationale behind our determination of whether your Omega watch is genuine or counterfeit.
Consequently, we conclude our guide on identifying counterfeit versus authentic Omega Speedmaster watches. As more precise and updated comparisons come to light, we are committed to continually enhancing this article.
Need our opinion in regards to the authenticity of your watch? It’s a service we provide.
Want to avoid scams for your next sneaker, watch, designer item or bag? Enter your email address and we'll send the FREE guide over.
About the Author
Ch Alex is the co-founder and COO of Legit Check By Ch. Ch Alex is in charge of the "Watch Guides" section of our Legit Check By Ch Library. Alex is also the main host of our YouTube channel where our guides have helped people save millions of dollars in scams. Make sure you subscribe to our channel and check out the videos hosted by Alex!