The fastest way to spot a fake Omega Speedmaster Apollo 13 is the caseback. Genuine Silver Snoopy Award editions carry a movement-driven Snoopy animation or a silver medallion set into the back, while counterfeit versions use a printed, glued, or freely spinning disc. Fakes also fail on the chronograph layout, the calibre under the rotor, and the crispness of the limited-edition engraving.
Which Omega Speedmasters count as Apollo 13 watches?
Collectors group three commemorative Speedmaster Professional editions under the Apollo 13 name. The 1995 25th Anniversary model marked the crew's safe return, the 2015 Silver Snoopy Award honored the 45th anniversary in a numbered run of 1,970 pieces, and the 2020 Silver Snoopy Award 50th Anniversary (reference 310.32.42.50.02.001) celebrated the mission and the award Snoopy represents. All three have been copied, and the 2020 edition is the one counterfeit makers target hardest.
How do you tell a fake Speedmaster Snoopy from a real one?
The caseback animation
On the 2020 edition, the caseback is animated: a rotating Earth disc carries Snoopy around it, and the motion is powered by the movement. The animation advances only while the watch runs and stops when the movement stops. A fake caseback is static, spins freely by hand, or moves at the wrong rate, and the Snoopy figure is often a sticker or a low-relief stamp instead of a finished applique.
Movement and subdial layout
Genuine examples run Omega co-axial chronograph calibres, with the 1861 and 1863 family in earlier models and the 3861 Master Chronometer in the 2020 watch. Replicas are built on generic 7750-derived or decorated Asian chronographs, which reveal themselves through mushy pushers, counters that do not reset cleanly, and rotor finishing that looks nothing like an Omega bridge. A look through the sapphire caseback settles most doubts in seconds.
Dial, hands, and bezel
Print quality is the second tell. Real Speedmasters have sharp lume plots, even text, and a tachymeter scale that is enamel-filled or crisply printed with the correct dot-over-90 shape. Fakes show fuzzy wording, uneven lume, soft hand bevels, and a bezel insert that is too glossy for the reference.
Engraving, numbers, and papers
Numbered editions carry a limited-edition number such as 1234/1970 on the back or the case side. Genuine engraving is crisp and shallow with clean metal edges, while counterfeit engraving is often laser-darkened, too deep, or misaligned with the text block. Boxes, cards, and booklets are routinely faked, so judge the watch on condition and provenance rather than on accessories.
What do fake Apollo 13 Speedmasters get wrong most often?
- Static or hand-spinnable caseback instead of a movement-driven animation.
- A generic chronograph movement hidden under a decorated rotor.
- Counters that do not follow the 3-6-9 layout or do not reset to zero.
- Soft lume plots, fuzzy printing, and an over-glossy bezel insert.
- Case proportions, lugs, and crown guards that are a millimeter or two off.
- Serial and limited-number engraving with the wrong font or depth.
Is there a true 1:1 clone of the Silver Snoopy Speedmaster?
No. The animated caseback on the 2020 edition depends on Omega's own calibre architecture, so even the best super clone Speedmasters are exterior copies with a generic movement inside. Anyone who compares a replica with a genuine watch under a loupe usually finds the difference at the back within a minute.
How do you verify a genuine Apollo 13 Speedmaster before buying?
Ask for a movement photo, a caseback photo with the serial visible, and the original purchase documentation. The reference number on the caseback should match the reference the seller advertises, and a watchmaker can confirm the calibre and limited-edition number in minutes. A price far below the market for a Snoopy edition is the strongest signal that something is wrong.