Omega built 1,972 examples of the Speedmaster Professional Apollo XVII 40th Anniversary in 2012. That number is the first test. A watch sold as this model with a caseback number above 1,972 is counterfeit. A quartz movement, an automatic movement, or a printed tachymeter scale are three other signs.
What the genuine watch is
- Reference number: 311.30.42.30.03.001
- Production: 1,972 pieces, announced 2012
- Movement: Omega caliber 1861, hand wound, 21,600 vibrations per hour
- Case: 42 mm stainless steel, 20 mm between the lugs
- Bezel: blue ceramic with a Ceragold tachymeter scale, 18k gold bonded into the ceramic
- Dial: blue, three subdials, no date window
- Caseback: limited edition number engraved from 0001/1972 through 1972/1972
Published sources disagree on small details. Compare each feature with Omega's archive or a watchmaker before you treat it as proof.
Checks that matter
- Caseback number. Range 1 to 1972. Numbers above 1972 and repeated numbers appear on copies.
- Movement. Caliber 1861 is hand wound. A battery or an automatic winding weight means the case is not the real part.
- Bezel. Ceragold is metal set into ceramic. The numerals do not rub off, flake, or fade. Painted or foil scales are a copy sign.
- Subdials. 30 minute counter at 3, 12 hour counter at 6, running seconds at 9.
- Printing. The Omega symbol and the words Speedmaster and Professional sit on a flat blue dial with sharp edges on each letter.
- Serial number. A watchmaker can open the case and read the movement serial. An Omega service center can check that number against the delivery record.
- Case finish. Brushed sides, polished bevel, machined lug curves. Tool marks on the lugs point to a low-cost case.
Box, card and papers
Limited edition boxes, cards and certificates are copied and sold on their own. A box proves nothing. The useful signal is a match between the caseback number, the warranty card number, and the serial on the movement.
Price signals
Genuine Apollo XVII 40th Anniversary watches trade for thousands of US dollars on the secondhand market. Offers near a few hundred dollars sit in the counterfeit segment. Ask for photos of the caseback engraving, the movement, and the certificate number before payment.
Legal position in the US
Counterfeit watch sales fall under the Lanham Act for trademark infringement. Criminal charges can follow under 18 U.S.C. 2320. US Customs and Border Protection can seize shipments of counterfeit watches.
Not verified here
I could not verify the 2012 retail price, the exact caseback engraving layout, or the crystal material for this reference. Treat those points as open questions and check them with an Omega archive extract or a qualified watchmaker.