Short answer

No replica Speedmaster Moonwatch passes Master Chronometer testing. The real watch runs the Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 3861, a hand-wound movement with a silicon balance spring and a magnetic resistance rating of 15,000 gauss. Fakes use other movements, often a Seagull ST19 chronograph or a quartz module. A fake copies the dial, the 42 mm case and the bracelet. It does not copy the movement, the METAS certificate or the Omega service record.

Genuine specs

  • Reference 310.30.42.50.01.001 (hesalite) and 310.30.42.50.01.002 (sapphire), both released in January 2021.
  • Case 42 mm across. Thickness about 13.2 mm on the hesalite model and about 13.6 mm on the sapphire model.
  • Lug width 20 mm.
  • Calibre 3861: manual wind, 25,200 vibrations per hour, 50 hours of power reserve, Co-Axial escapement, silicon balance spring.
  • METAS Master Chronometer certification. Eight tests. Average daily rate of 0 to +5 seconds.
  • US list price above $6,000 for both versions.

What fakes get close

Case shape. Dial layout with subdials at 3, 6 and 9. Bezel with the dot over 90. Hands. Link count. Lug width. A photo on a table can look close.

What fakes miss

  1. Movement. The 3861 has a Co-Axial escapement and a free-sprung balance. Replica chronographs use a Seagull ST19 at 21,600 vph, a clone of an older Lemania design, or quartz. Quartz fakes tick once per second and show no sweep.
  2. Certification card. Each genuine 3861 ships with a Master Chronometer card and a number. That number returns a result in the METAS database and the Omega system. Fake card numbers return nothing.
  3. Caseback. The hesalite model has a solid steel back with the Seahorse medallion and the NASA text, including "FLIGHT-QUALIFIED BY NASA FOR ALL MANNED SPACE MISSIONS" and "THE FIRST WATCH WORN ON THE MOON". The sapphire model has a display back. Many fakes mix the two.
  4. Dial details. The step between the dial center and the outer ring. Applied logo on the sapphire model, printed logo on the hesalite model. Subdial hand lengths.
  5. Numbers. Caseback reference number, movement number and card number should line up. Fake batches reuse one number across many units.
  6. Bracelet finish. The genuine 5-link bracelet alternates brushed and polished links. Replica plating wears at the clasp edges within months.

Checks in one minute

  1. Watch the seconds hand. A real 3861 beats 7 times per second.
  2. Start the chronograph, then reset it at full run. A real 3861 returns to zero with no drift.
  3. Read the Master Chronometer card number.
  4. Match the caseback type against the model. Hesalite means solid back.
  5. Compare the caseback number with the movement number.

US legal position

18 U.S.C. § 2320 covers trafficking in counterfeit goods. An individual first offense carries up to 10 years in prison and a $2,000,000 fine. Customs and Border Protection can seize shipments at the border. Selling a replica as a genuine watch is fraud under state and federal law.

Price gap

Replica sellers list standard fakes between $150 and $400, and the "super clone" tier between $700 and $1,200. Genuine list price sits above $6,000. The gap covers a certified movement, an eight-test certification and a factory warranty. A replica carries no warranty that a court will enforce.