A fake Apollo 13 Snoopy is a counterfeit or replica version of the Omega Speedmaster Silver Snoopy Award, the watch Omega built to honor the Apollo 13 crew and NASA's Silver Snoopy safety award. Genuine examples are limited or numbered editions with specific dial art, casebacks, and Master Chronometer movements, so most replicas fail on close inspection. The three versions collectors chase most are the 2003 ref. 3578.51.00, the 2015 ref. 311.32.42.30.04.003, and the 2020 50th Anniversary ref. 310.32.42.50.02.001.

What does Apollo 13 have to do with Snoopy?

Snoopy is NASA's safety mascot, and astronauts hand out the Silver Snoopy Award to people and companies who protect flight safety. Omega received that award on October 5, 1970, after its Speedmaster timed the 14-second midcourse burn that helped bring Apollo 13 home. Apollo 13 launched in April 1970 and lost an oxygen tank on the way to the Moon, forcing the crew to abandon the landing.

Which Snoopy Speedmaster references are faked most?

  • 2003 ref. 3578.51.00: white dial, colored Snoopy in the 9 o'clock subdial, limited to 5,441 pieces, calibre 1861.
  • 2015 ref. 311.32.42.30.04.003: white dial, black Snoopy in the small seconds counter, limited to 1,970 pieces, calibre 1861.
  • 2020 ref. 310.32.42.50.02.001: blue dial, numbered rather than limited, animated Snoopy caseback, calibre 3861.

How do you spot a fake Snoopy Speedmaster?

  1. Study the Snoopy art. Genuine dials use crisp printing or applied detail, while fakes show soft edges, wrong proportions, or Snoopy facing the wrong way.
  2. Turn the watch over. The 2020 model has a domed sapphire caseback with an animated Snoopy module orbiting the far side of the Moon and a rotating Earth disc; most replicas use a static disc or plain steel back.
  3. Check the caliber. The 2020 uses the Co-Axial Master Chronometer calibre 3861 with a 50-hour reserve, and the earlier two use the calibre 1861.
  4. Inspect the bezel and dial text. Genuine tachymeter scales are sharp and filled, and the printed NASA flight qualification lines on the back are clean and consistent.
  5. Weigh the case. A 42 mm steel Speedmaster has a distinct heft, and light, hollow-feeling cases point to a counterfeit.
  6. Match the paperwork. Limited edition numbers, warranty cards, and boxes should line up with the reference and serial.

What does a replica Snoopy Speedmaster get wrong?

Cheap replicas usually get the subdial layout right and everything else wrong. The Snoopy figure is often a decal with the wrong pose, the caseback animation is missing or frozen, and the movement is a basic chronograph that ticks rather than sweeps. Bezels on fakes are frequently aluminum with painted numerals instead of the genuine ceramic or sapphire insert with enamel fill.

What is a genuine Silver Snoopy Award worth?

All three editions trade well above their original retail prices, and the 2015 and 2020 versions regularly change hands for five figures. Any Apollo 13 Snoopy offered for a few hundred dollars is a counterfeit, no matter how good the photos look. Buyers should treat a low price as the first and clearest warning sign.

Is there a real Omega Snoopy watch?

Yes. Omega has released several Silver Snoopy Award Speedmasters, starting with the 2003 edition, and each one is documented by the brand. Reference numbers, production counts, and movement specs are published, so any claim that cannot be matched to those records is a red flag.

What should buyers check first?

Start with the reference number and the caseback, because those two details separate genuine watches from replicas faster than anything else. Then verify the movement, the bezel insert, and the paperwork before money changes hands. A watch that passes all three checks is far more likely to be authentic.