Quick answer
The Globemaster is an Omega Constellation model launched in 2015. It was the first Omega watch certified as a Master Chronometer by METAS, the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology. The steel version uses Co-Axial calibre 8900, a 39 mm case, a tungsten carbide bezel, and a pie-pan dial. It resists magnetic fields to 15,000 gauss and runs 60 hours on a full wind. Replica Globemaster listings copy the outside. They do not copy the escapement, the silicon balance spring, or the METAS certificate.
What the two terms mean
Co-Axial
Co-Axial names the escapement. George Daniels designed it. Omega put it into series production in 1999. The escapement uses three pallet jewels instead of two and lowers sliding friction between the pallet stones and the escape wheel teeth.
Master Chronometer
Master Chronometer names a METAS certification. METAS tests the finished, cased watch, not the bare movement. Eight tests cover magnetic exposure at 15,000 gauss, rate in six positions, rate after magnetic exposure, function at low power reserve, and water resistance. The accuracy window is 0 to +5 seconds per day.
Globemaster specifications
- Case: 39 mm steel, about 12.4 mm thick, 20 mm lugs
- Calibre: 8900 in steel, 8901 with gold rotor and bridge accents
- Power reserve: 60 hours
- Balance spring: silicon (Si14)
- Water resistance: 100 m
- Crystal: sapphire front and back
- Bezel: fluted tungsten carbide
- Dial: pie-pan, date at 6 o'clock
- Annual Calendar version: 41 mm, calibre 8922, month hand plus date
Omega sold the Constellation in the US under the Globemaster name in the 1950s. The 2015 watch borrows the name and the globe medallion on the caseback.
What replica listings get wrong
- Movement. Most replicas run a Miyota 8215, a Seagull ST2130, or an unbranded Chinese automatic. None of these have a co-axial escapement. Dial text that reads "Co-Axial" describes nothing inside.
- Certification. METAS records every Master Chronometer number. A replica cannot supply a number that matches a real watch.
- Magnetism. 15,000 gauss resistance needs a silicon balance spring and non-magnetic components. Replica movements use steel springs and gain or lose time near a magnet.
- Bezel. Tungsten carbide has a grey tone that holds a polish. Replica bezels are steel, chrome plated, or coated.
- Dial. The real pie-pan inner section slopes at a set angle. Copies differ by a degree or more, and the date font is wider.
- Size. Listed at 39 mm, measured copies run 38.5 to 40 mm. Lug width runs 19.5 to 21 mm.
- Rate. An unregulated Chinese automatic runs about plus or minus 15 to 30 seconds per day.
Price ranges and legal status
Replica Globemaster listings run from about $80 to $600. Higher prices cover sapphire glass, a decorated rotor, or a copied caseback. In most cases the movement is Chinese, not Swiss. Trade in counterfeit watches that carry the Omega trademark is illegal in the United States. US Customs and Border Protection can seize such shipments, and the Trademark Counterfeiting Act covers sellers.
How to compare a listing to the real watch
- Ask for the measured case diameter and lug width in millimeters, not the catalog figure.
- Ask which movement sits inside and how many jewels it has.
- Ask for a photo of the caseback engraving under side light.
- Ask for a timegrapher reading in six positions.
- Ask if the crystal is sapphire or mineral glass.
If a seller claims METAS certification, request the Master Chronometer number and check it with Omega. That step takes one minute and settles the question.