Short answer
A fifth-generation imitation Speedmaster 1957 is the current widely traded copy of Omega's 2007 50th-anniversary reissue of the original 1957 chronograph. The fifth gen is recognized by a corrected dial (broad-arrow hands, base-1000 steel tachymeter, tighter "Speedmaster" print), a case that finally tracks the original's published size, and a hand-wound chronograph movement instead of the quartz or rough automatic units used on earlier versions. It is still a counterfeit that carries Omega's trademarks, cannot be sold as genuine in the US, and can be seized at import. Judge one on build quality, mechanical honesty and price, not on how closely it copies the original.
Prerequisites
- Digital calipers
- 10x loupe or a phone macro lens
- Timegrapher or a timing app
- Omega's published specs for the 2007 reissue, on screen
- A written return policy from the seller
Inspect the watch in ten steps
- Measure the case. Take caliper readings across the bezel and lug to lug, then compare them with the reference figures for the genuine 1957 reissue. A fifth-gen copy should land within half a millimeter; older generations run large.
- Check the bezel. It should be steel with a base-1000 tachymeter, numerals engraved and filled. Printed numerals on ceramic or aluminum mean you are looking at a lower tier.
- Read the dial under magnification. The Omega wordmark and symbol should be sharp, with no bleed or double edge. Subdials sit at 3 and 9, and there is no date window.
- Compare the hands. Broad-arrow hour and minute hands, a thin chronograph seconds hand, and lume plots that sit level in their frames.
- Check subdial hand length. Each small hand should reach its hash marks. Copies that stop short are easy to spot and are not fifth gen.
- Look at the crystal from a low angle. A domed sapphire with slight edge distortion is correct. Flat mineral glass is a downgrade.
- Turn it over. Expect a solid caseback with the 1957 anniversary engraving, cut deep and centered.
- Work the crown and pushers. The crown should wind without grit, and each pusher should give a firm start, stop and reset.
- Check the strap or bracelet fit. Spring bars or end links should seat at the lugs with no gap and no rattle.
- Time it. Wind it fully, let it run 24 hours, then read the rate and amplitude. Ask for the numbers before you pay if you are buying remotely.
Reading the movement
A fifth-generation copy runs a hand-wound chronograph, most often a Seagull ST19 family caliber or a close derivative. Expect roughly 21,600 vibrations per hour and 40 hours of reserve. Start the chronograph, let it run two minutes, then reset: the seconds hand should snap back to zero in one motion with no creep and no stutter of the running seconds.
Red flags
- Listings that show renders or stock photos instead of macro shots of the actual unit
- "Swiss made" claims with no movement photos
- Prices far under the going rate for the generation
- No return window, or pressure to pay off-platform
- A seller who calls the watch a genuine Omega
Own it realistically
Budget for a service within two years. Gaskets on copies are the first failure point, so keep the watch away from water regardless of any depth rating on the caseback. A watchmaker who handles Asian chronographs can regulate the movement and replace seals; a dealer who only swaps complete units will not.
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US legal position
Trafficking in counterfeit goods, watches included, is a federal offense under 18 U.S.C. 2320, and Customs and Border Protection seizes counterfeit merchandise at the border. Buying one for personal use carries risk; reselling one as genuine carries far more.