There is no Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 300m. The Aqua Terra is rated to 150 meters. The 300 meter rating belongs to the Seamaster Diver 300M. Listings that merge the two names start with an error, and genuine Omega catalogs do not make it.
Two different Omega lines
- Aqua Terra 150M: 34mm, 38mm, and 41mm cases. Teak pattern dial with horizontal lines from 2017. Caliber 8800 or 8900. Sapphire display back. 150m water resistance. No helium escape valve.
- Seamaster Diver 300M: 42mm case. Ceramic dial with laser engraved waves. Caliber 8800. Helium escape valve at 10 o'clock. NAIAD lock caseback from 2018. 300m water resistance.
A watch with a teak deck dial and 300m printed on the dial is not an Omega configuration.
Specs to check on any claimed clone
- Rate. Co-Axial calibers 8800 and 8900 run at 25,200 vibrations per hour, or 3.5 Hz. A timegrapher reading of 21,600 or 28,800 points to a third party movement.
- Certification. Master Chronometer watches pass 8 METAS tests over 10 days and resist 15,000 gauss. The result is tied to a serial number.
- Escapement. Genuine watches use a Co-Axial escapement with a three level wheel. Copies place a decorative bridge over a standard lever escapement.
- Caseback. Aqua Terra has a sapphire display back. The Diver 300M has a solid back with the seahorse medallion and the NAIAD lock, which has no notches.
- Crystal. Genuine sapphire carries anti-reflective coating on both faces. Most copies coat the outside face alone and show a blue or purple cast at an angle.
- Lume. Genuine dials use Super-LumiNova with an even fill. Copies show uneven fill and a green cast under UV light.
- Serial. Caseback and movement numbers match on genuine watches and can be checked by an Omega service center.
Price signals
US list prices run about 5,900 to 6,700 dollars for an Aqua Terra on steel and about 6,000 to 6,600 dollars for a Seamaster Diver 300M. Counterfeit listings sit near 50 to 150 dollars for basic copies, 250 to 600 dollars for so called super clones, and up to 1,000 dollars for decorated movements in steel cases. No new watch with a Master Chronometer card sells below 3,000 dollars.
US law
Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. 2320. A first offense carries up to 10 years in prison and a 2 million dollar fine for an individual. Trademark owners can collect statutory damages of 1,000 to 200,000 dollars per counterfeit mark per type of goods under 15 U.S.C. 1117, and up to 2 million dollars if the use is willful. US Customs and Border Protection seizes counterfeit watches at ports under 19 CFR 133.21 through 133.23. A personal import does not exempt the item from seizure.
Checks before payment
- Ask for a timegrapher photo showing rate and amplitude.
- Ask for a movement photo with the rotor moved out of frame.
- Match the serial on the caseback to the card.
- Look up the reference number in the Omega catalog. A reference that does not exist ends the deal.
Omega service centers will not service counterfeit watches.