Short answer: the Speedmaster Apollo 13 "Silver Snoopy Award" is a specific, catalogued Omega reference, so a "first copy" version of it is a counterfeit of a named watch rather than an anonymous homage. Sellers push it because the Snoopy dial and the Apollo 13 story sell, but the details that make the watch recognizable are the details replica factories get wrong. Below is what the watch actually is, what first copy versions miss, and how to spend your money sensibly.
What the Silver Snoopy Award Speedmaster actually is
The Silver Snoopy Award is a NASA honor: a sterling silver pin showing Snoopy in a spacesuit, presented by astronauts to people and teams who contributed to flight safety or mission success. Omega received it in 1970 after the Apollo 13 crew used a Speedmaster to time the 14 second course correction burn that helped bring the crew home. Omega has marked that connection with dedicated Speedmaster editions, including a 2015 Silver Snoopy Award model limited to 1,970 pieces and a 50th anniversary edition released in 2020.
Those editions are why the search term exists. They are also why counterfeit versions are common: the story is famous, the design is distinctive, and the genuine watch is expensive and hard to buy at retail.
Why this watch is hard to copy well
- The dial is a white lacquer finish with fine printing and applied markers. Replicas tend to show a flat, greyish dial and heavier text.
- The Snoopy artwork is licensed illustration, not a simple logo. Copies lose the line weight and the layout inside the subdial.
- Later editions use a ceramic bezel with enamel and an animated caseback. Neither is reproduced in a cheap case.
- Case proportions on a 42mm Speedmaster are specific and slim. Replica cases run thicker because they house generic chronograph movements.
Genuine versus first copy: the real trade-offs
Genuine Omega Silver Snoopy Award
- Pros: factory warranty, a movement that can be serviced, correct finishing, a documented reference number, and resale value that holds or grows.
- Cons: a high price, limited supply, and either a wait at retail or a premium on the secondary market.
First copy or replica
- Pros: a small fraction of the cost, and a similar silhouette at arm's length.
- Cons: it infringes Omega and Peanuts trademarks, it can be seized by customs, it carries no warranty, and it often cannot be serviced because the movement is a generic chronograph with no parts support.
If you want one watch to wear daily and hand down, a replica is the wrong purchase. If you only want to test whether you like the look before committing, buy a licensed alternative instead.
Checks to run before you buy any Snoopy dial chronograph
- Ask for the reference number and compare it against Omega's own catalogue listing.
- Request close photos of the caseback engraving, the bezel, and the movement through a display back.
- Study the subdial layout. The genuine registers are spaced for a specific chronograph architecture, and replicas often mirror a different movement.
- Treat price as evidence. Anything far below the market for that reference is not the same watch.
- Buy from an authorized dealer, or from a seller who provides papers and a return policy.
Alternatives that deliver the look without the legal risk
If the appeal is the space story, licensed routes exist. Bulova's Lunar Pilot traces back to a chronograph flown on Apollo 15. Timex sells official Peanuts collaborations with Snoopy on the dial. Omega and Swatch have released official bioceramic Speedmaster-inspired models under license, which give you the Moonwatch profile and come with a warranty and open retail distribution.
The short version: the Silver Snoopy Award Speedmaster is worth learning about, and the replicas marketed under that name are not a shortcut to it. Buy the story from the brands that own it, or buy a genuine Moonwatch, and you end up with a watch you can wear, service, and sell.