Replica Speedmaster Date: What Buyers Get

A replica Speedmaster Date copies the Omega Speedmaster Automatic Date. The two common references are 3513.50.00 and 3210.50.00. Both are discontinued. Copies use a steel case at 39mm or 40mm, a tachymeter bezel, and three subdials plus a date window at 3 o'clock. Almost every copy runs an Asia 7750 automatic chronograph, a clone of the ETA 7750. Prices land between $180 and $420. The date function is the part buyers check first, because a mismatched date wheel font is the easiest tell.

Original Reference Data

Omega released the Speedmaster Date ref. 3513.50.00 in 1996. Case size is 39mm. Caliber 1152, an ETA 7750 base, 25 jewels, 28,800 beats per hour, 44 hours of reserve. The dial has three subdials: 30-minute counter at 12, 12-hour counter at 6, running seconds at 9. The date sits at 3. Ref. 3210.50.00 came later with a 40mm case and caliber 1164, also an ETA 7750 base. Dealer listings show both references with sapphire crystals and steel bracelets. Lug width on the 39mm reference is listed at 18mm.

Movement and Hand Stack

The Asia 7750 shares the 7750 layout, so subdial positions match the original. Genuine and clone movements both place running seconds at 9 o'clock and put the date at 3. A copy with a 7750 keeps the same hand stack height. Copies that use quartz or a 21-jewel automatic with a fake chronograph do not match. Test the chronograph by starting, stopping, and resetting it three times. Every hand should snap back to 12. Winding should feel smooth, not gritty. The date should flip within a few minutes of midnight.

Case, Bezel, and Crystal

Genuine thickness on the 39mm reference runs near 14mm. Copies run 14.5mm to 15.5mm on average. The caseback on the original carries an engraved hippocampus and reference text. Depth of engraving varies on copies. The bezel insert is aluminum with a printed tachymeter scale on both references. Check the alignment of the 500 mark against the crystal edge. The original uses sapphire with inner anti-reflective coating. Copies offer mineral glass at low tiers and sapphire at higher tiers. AR coating on copies can be blue, purple, or absent.

Dial Details

  • Date font: compare the shape of the 3, 6, 8, and 9 to photos of the reference. Many copies use a generic date wheel.
  • Print: the word OMEGA and the symbol sit under 12. Check stroke width and spacing.
  • Subdial rings: the original has concentric circles with fine print. Copies can have flat rings.
  • Lume: Super-LumiNova on hands and hour markers. Application on copies varies in color and amount.
  • Hands: baton hour and minute hands, thin chronograph hands. Check hand length against the subdial radius.

Bracelet and End Links

The original uses a three-link steel bracelet with a signed clasp. Check end link fit against the case, clasp stamping, and screw or pin construction. Rattle in the bracelet is common on lower tiers.

Water Resistance

Copies list 30m or 50m. Seals and gaskets vary by factory. Do not swim with a copy. Keep it away from steam and salt water.

Price Bands

$180 to $250: mineral glass, basic Asia 7750, printed dial. $260 to $350: sapphire crystal, better date wheel, closer case thickness. $380 and up: decorated rotor, deeper engraving, AR coating on both sides. Photos and measurements from the seller matter more than the band.

Limits of a Copy

A copy is not an Omega product. It carries no warranty from Omega and no service history. Resale value is near zero. Movement service costs $80 to $150 at independent shops, and some shops refuse clone 7750 work. If the date wheel, crystal, or chronograph fails, parts come from the same replica supply chain.