What a replica Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday is
A replica Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday is a copy of two Omega limited editions that came out of the #SpeedyTuesday hashtag. Fratello Watches started the hashtag in 2012. Omega released the first Speedy Tuesday watch in 2017: reference 311.32.42.30.01.001, a run of 2,012 pieces, sold through Omega's site. It cleared in about four hours. The second watch, the Speedy Tuesday Ultraman, arrived in 2018, also 2,012 pieces. Copy makers took the dial layout and case shape. They did not take the movement.
Which models get copied
Speedy Tuesday 2017, ref 311.32.42.30.01.001
Steel case, 42 mm across, 20 mm lugs, about 14 mm thick. Three subdials at 3, 6 and 9. No date. Matte black dial, white print. Aluminum bezel insert with a tachymeter scale. Manual-wind calibre 1861. The caseback carries an engraved number.
Speedy Tuesday Ultraman, 2018
Same 42 mm case, same 2,012-piece run. Orange central chronograph seconds hand. Orange marks on the bezel. The subdial at 9 carries a small orange silhouette. Many copies get the hand and the bezel marks. Most miss the silhouette scale.
Movements in replicas
The genuine 1861 is a hand-wound, cam-switched chronograph. It beats 21,600 times per hour, or 6 ticks per second, with 48 hours of reserve. Two movements show up in copies.
- Seagull ST19. A hand-wound column-wheel chronograph from Tianjin. 21,600 vph, 6 ticks per second, about 40 hours of reserve. Pusher feel is lighter than the 1861.
- Quartz. The central chronograph hand jumps once per second. Reset snaps to zero with no sweep.
Compare subdial hand positions against a photo of the real watch. Subdial spacing on the ST19 does not match the 1861 in every build, so counters can sit closer to the center or further out.
Tells to check before you buy
- Case size. 42.0 mm diameter, 20 mm lug width, about 47 mm lug to lug. Ask for caliper photos.
- Crystal. Domed front crystal with edge distortion at an angle. A flat crystal reads as a copy.
- Dial print. "OMEGA" and "SPEEDMASTER" in the original line weight. Thin or heavy fonts are a common fault.
- Date window. Neither limited edition has one. A date at 3 or 6 means it is not a Speedy Tuesday copy.
- Bezel. Tachymeter numbers on an aluminum insert. Ceramic inserts belong to other Speedmaster copies.
- Caseback. Engraving depth and the limited number. Unnumbered casebacks are on the market.
- Lume tone. Set your seller's photo next to Omega press photos in daylight and compare.
Price ranges
Listings run from about $80 for quartz builds to a few hundred dollars for ST19 builds. Prices track factory batches and stock. Verified price data per factory is not public, and factory names change with each run. Treat any factory name in a listing as unverified until you see photos of the watch in hand.
What a copy does not reproduce
- Movement finish, spare parts and the Omega warranty.
- The engraved limited number and its link to the Omega record.
- Resale value. The 2017 edition trades above its original retail price on the secondhand market.
Fit and size notes
The 42 mm case wears larger than the number suggests because the lugs sit at 20 mm and the case is thick. On a 6.5 inch wrist the lugs reach the edges. Bracelet options include a steel three-link and a leather strap. Buy the bracelet version if you plan to resell the copy, since bracelets are harder to source on their own.