Short answer
Omega does not sell a watch named “Hippocampus.” The word names the seahorse logo on Seamaster casebacks. A “counterfeit Omega Hippocampus 2018” is most often a fake 2018 Seamaster Diver 300M. Check five points: caseback, movement, dial, bezel, and papers. A genuine 2018 Seamaster Diver 300M has a 42 mm steel case, Calibre 8800, 300 m water resistance, and a transparent caseback. A fake fails on the caseback and the movement.
counterfeit omega hippocampus 2018
1. Case and caseback
Genuine 2018 Seamaster Diver 300M: 42 mm case, ceramic dial, sapphire caseback. The caseback uses a NAIAD Lock. The hippocampus engraving has a distinct tail, trident, and wave line. The sapphire shows the movement. Fakes use solid steel backs or mineral glass. Engraving on fakes has filled gaps and rounded edges. The helium escape valve sits at 10 o'clock. Check its crown and thread. The crown at 3 o'clock has a guard shape that meets the case with a sharp line. Fakes show a gap.
Omega Hippocampus 2018 Replica Buying Guide: Judging the Seamaster Diver 300M Clone
2. Dial and bezel
The 2018 dial has laser-cut waves in ceramic. The date sits at 6 o'clock. The bezel is ceramic with a white enamel diving scale. Fakes use printed waves, a date at 3 o'clock, and a painted bezel scale. Check the bezel pip at 12. It must align with the dial marker. Check the lume. Genuine hands and markers glow blue. The hands have open centers. The dial logo is applied. Fakes have a printed logo.
Replica Omega Hippocampus 2018: What You Are Really Buying
3. Movement
Genuine Calibre 8800: automatic, 55-hour power reserve, Co-Axial escapement, silicon balance spring, Master Chronometer. The rotor has Geneva waves and engraving. The balance wheel is free-sprung. Fakes use ETA 2824 clones or Miyota 9015 with a decorated rotor. Check for a regulator arm. Genuine 8800 has no regulator on the balance bridge. A fake may show a screw regulator. The movement number and case number must match the papers. METAS tests each Master Chronometer. A 2018 watch should have a METAS card.
4. Serial and papers
Genuine Omega papers for 2018: warranty card, Master Chronometer card, pictograms card, and manual. The serial on the movement must match the card. The caseback reference should match the model. For the blue steel 2018 model, reference 210.30.42.20.03.001. A fake often has a mismatched reference or a card with no METAS data. Check the date on the card. A 2018 watch card should show a 2018 sale date or later. A card with a 2024 date on a 2018 model needs a check.
5. Price and seller
A price far below market is a red flag. Ask for a movement photo and a caseback photo. Ask for the serial and the reference. A seller with no return policy is a risk. An Omega service center can check the serial and the movement. Counterfeit watch sale is illegal in the US. US Customs can seize counterfeit shipments.