Quick answer
A real Omega Speedmaster ref. 323.10.42.30.01.001 is a hand-wound chronograph. The movement is calibre 1863. It beats 21,600 times per hour, or 6 beats per second. The case is 42 mm steel with a 20 mm lug width. The dial has three subdials at 3, 6 and 9. The back is sapphire and shows the movement. Most fakes fail on the movement, the logo, or the bezel text. If the chronograph second hand jumps once per second, the watch is quartz and it is not genuine.
What the reference number tells you
The number 323.10.42.30.01.001 breaks into blocks that encode line, case material, case diameter and movement type. The 42 block matches the 42 mm case. The full reference was sold from about 2011 to 2021. Omega replaced it with the calibre 3861 Moonwatch in 2021. A seller who lists the watch as a 3861 with this reference number has mixed up two different generations.
Movement check
Calibre 1863 is manual wind. There is no rotor. Jewels: 18. Power reserve: 48 hours. Beat rate: 21,600 vph. The finish is rhodium plated with decorative graining.
- A rotor behind a display back means an automatic movement. The 323.10.42 never had one.
- A quartz tick is a hard fail. Listen for 6 beats per second.
- Stamped or rough plates, uneven screws and a plain finish point to a clone movement.
- Press start, stop and reset. A genuine 1863 resets with a firm snap to zero. A modular fake often resets soft or lands off zero.
Dial, hands and subdials
The dial is black with white baton hands and Super-LumiNova markers. The sapphire version uses white gold hands and an applied metal Omega logo at 12. The hesalite version, ref. 3570.50, uses painted hands and a printed logo. A sapphire-crystal reference with a printed logo is wrong.
- Subdials: running seconds at 9, 30-minute counter at 3, 12-hour counter at 6.
- No date window. A date at 3 is a fail.
- Subdial hands should be thin and straight, with a clean print on the track.
Bezel and case
The bezel is steel with a black aluminium insert. The printed word is TACHYMÈTE, with a grave accent on the first E. Many fakes print TACHYMETRE with no accent, or with a heavier font. Compare the insert against a photo of a known-genuine watch.
The pushers sit at 2 and 4. The crown sits at 3 and carries the Omega symbol. The sapphire caseback has an engraved outer ring. The ring reads FLIGHT-QUALIFIED BY NASA FOR ALL MANNED SPACE MISSIONS and THE FIRST WATCH WORN ON THE MOON. Engraving on fakes is often shallow, blurred or missing the trademark mark.
Bracelet and weight
The bracelet is steel with a folding clasp. End links should meet the 20 mm lugs with no gap. A genuine watch on the full bracelet weighs about 150 g. Most fakes weigh less because the case and links are thinner. The clasp is stamped with the Omega symbol and reference numbers, not printed.
Price and paperwork
Retail on this reference was about $6,000 to $6,500 before it was discontinued. Used prices run about $4,500 to $6,500 with condition, box and papers. Fakes sell for $150 to $800. A $900 asking price for a full set is not a bargain.
The set includes a warranty card, a pictogram card and the box. The serial on the card should match the serial on the movement. Ask for a clear photo of the movement serial. A seller who refuses has answered the question.
Before you pay
Book a service estimate with an Omega-certified watchmaker. Cost: about $50 to $150. That check is cheaper than a $5,000 loss. In the US, selling or shipping counterfeit goods is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 2320, and Customs can seize counterfeit shipments. A counterfeit watch has no Omega warranty and no service support.