Short answer
A replica Speedmaster is a copy of the Omega Speedmaster Professional. Prices run from about $90 to $500. Most mechanical versions use a Seagull ST19 hand-wind chronograph. Omega does not make that movement. Copies do not take Omega parts, do not carry Master Chronometer certification, and cannot be serviced by Omega.
The watch being copied
The Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch has a 42 mm steel case, 20 mm lugs, and 50 m water resistance. Reference 3570.50.00 ran caliber 1861 with a hesalite crystal. The 2021 update runs caliber 3861, a Co-Axial Master Chronometer rated 0 to +5 seconds per day and antimagnetic to 15,000 gauss. Case thickness is 13.6 mm. Power reserve is 50 hours. NASA flight-qualified the watch in 1965. The current hesalite reference is 310.30.42.50.01.002. The sapphire version is 310.30.42.50.01.001.
Movements inside replicas
The Seagull ST19 traces to the Venus 175, a column-wheel design from the 1940s. It runs at 21,600 vibrations per hour, or 3 Hz. The dial layout matches: running seconds at 9, a 30-minute counter at 3, and a 12-hour counter at 6. Differences show in subdial spacing. The ST19 plate is wider than the Omega 1861, so the subdials sit near the dial edge and hand lengths change. Quartz copies use a battery module and a seconds hand that ticks one step per second.
Dimensions to measure
- Case diameter 42 mm
- Thickness 13.6 mm to 14.5 mm by version
- Lug width 20 mm
- Lug-to-lug about 47 mm
- Weight on a steel bracelet about 145 g
Visual differences to check
Bezel insert text sits in the wrong place on many copies. The numeral 90 and the lume dot position changed when Omega updated the bezel in 2021. Crystal dome height is another tell. Hesalite domes high and scratches. Copy sapphire sits flat in most cases. Caseback engraving is shallow. Bracelet end links leave gaps at the lugs. Crown finishing looks rough under a loupe.
Price bands
Under $120: quartz or low-grade mechanical, mineral glass, folded bracelet. $150 to $300: ST19, sapphire front, solid caseback. $300 to $500: better case finishing, thicker plating, decorative rotor on automatic builds. No band reaches Omega tolerances.
Legal and practical notes
In the United States, a watch that carries the Omega name and logo without Omega authorization is a counterfeit. Import and sale are illegal. Customs can seize shipments. Resale value is near zero. Repair depends on the seller's parts supply, which is gone within two years in many cases.