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The Best Quality Fake Omega Speedmaster Professional Watches UK Celebrate Its 54th Anniversary As The Moonwatch

On July 21st, 1969, at 02:56 UTC, NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong was the first to set foot on the Moon. Nineteen minutes later, his colleague Buzz Aldrin joined him, wearing Swiss made replica Omega Speedmaster Professional watches strapped over his space suit. The watch was not there by coincidence. Rather, it was the only one that had not failed NASA’s rigorous testing procedures.

As a watch enthusiast, you’ve probably heard the story of the Moonwatch a thousand times already. However, in case you’re new to UK AAA Omega fake watches or simply don’t mind hearing about it for the thousand-first time, here we go!

Astronauts Schirra, Slayton, and Cooper already wore a Speedmaster

The Omega Speedmaster Professional did not become the Moonwatch by sheer luck. Quite the opposite, in fact. For a long time, there was a rumor in the watch industry that NASA had simply purchased some cheap Omega Speedmaster replica watches at a jewelry store in Houston, and thus, it became the watch of choice. But this is NASA we’re talking about. There had to be some guidelines and rules when it came to purchasing equipment for astronauts. So let’s quickly step back even further in time to explain how the Speedmaster came to be the watch on astronauts’ wrists. The fact that Schirra, Slayton, and Cooper already owned a Speedmaster CK2998 wasn’t an influence.

How the Speedmaster became the Moonwatch

On Monday, September 21st, 1964, Flight Crew Operations Director Deke Slayton issued an internal memo that there was a need for a highly durable and accurate chronograph for the Gemini and Apollo flight crews. This request came from astronauts who approached Slayton seeking a watch they could use during training and flight. The memo landed on the desk of NASA engineer James Ragan, who then put together a request for quotation and sent it to about 10 different watch manufacturers, including Omega, Rolex, Longines, and Lucien Piccard.

It was between these four brands

Of the 10, only four responded — Rolex, Longines-Wittnauer, Hamilton, and Omega. Hamilton was immediately disqualified because its management thought it was a good idea to send a pocket watch instead of a chronograph wristwatch. In hindsight, this might have made the shortlist of the most awful mistakes ever made by a watch company. Only the other brands’ outright lack of response would top that list.

Longines, Rolex, and Omega put to the test

Longines-Wittnauer sent a reference 235T chronograph, Rolex US sent its reference 6238 chronograph, and Omega US sent the Speedmaster 105.003. An interesting side note is that both the Rolex 6238 (“pre-Daytona”) and the Longines-Wittnauer 235T were powered by a Valjoux 72 movement and the Speedmaster by the Lemania-based caliber 321.

How did NASA test the Speedmaster?

For the watch to be (flight) qualified for use by the astronauts, NASA came up with a set of tests designed to put these luxury Omega copy watches through hell.

    High-temperature test: 70° C for 48 hours, then 93° C for 30 minutes in a partial vacuum

    Low-temperature test: -18° C for four hours

    Vacuum test: heating in a vacuum chamber, then cooling to -18° C for several cycles

    Humidity test: ten 24-hour cycles in >95% humidity with temperatures ranging from 25° C to 70° C

    Corrosion test: exposure to an atmosphere of oxygen at 70° C for 48 hours

    Shock-resistance test: six shocks at 40 G in six different directions

    Acceleration test: progressive acceleration to 7.25 G for about five minutes, then to 16 G for 30 seconds on three axes

    Low-pressure test: exposure to 10-6 atmospheres of pressure at 70° C for 90 minutes, then at 93° C for 30 minutes

    High-pressure test: in an air pressure of 1.6 atmospheres for 60 minutes

    Vibration test: random vibrations on three axes between five and 2,000 hertz with an acceleration of 8.8 G

    Sound test: 130 decibels at frequencies from 40 to 10,000 hertz for 30 minutes

NASA’s qualification for the Speedmaster

NASA’s testing standards allowed each watch to show a maximum deviation of 6 seconds per day on average during normal use (again). According to official documentation that we’ve seen from Omega’s archives, it seems that the Rolex ref. 6238 failed the humidity test, with the movement simply coming to a stop, then failing during the high-temperature test. The Longines-Wittnauer 235T failed the high-temperature test as well when the crystal warped and came off. All tests were completed on March 1st, 1965. Interestingly enough, on March 23rd, 1965, the Speedmaster 105.003 was brought into space on the wrists of astronauts Virgil Grissom and John Young. Only a few months later, on June 1st, 1965, the Omega Speedmaster 105.003 received its qualification (not certification — NASA doesn’t certify anything!) to be used as the chronograph for all manned space missions.

Double-wristing with Ed White

Just two days later, on June 3rd, NASA astronaut Ed White wore not one but two top replica Omega Speedmaster 105.003 watches over his space suit during the first spacewalk performed by an American. Now that we know a bit about how the Speedmaster became NASA’s chronograph of choice (you can find a more in-depth story here), let’s move on to the next big thing that happened — Apollo 11.

Apollo 11 — who wore what?

Meanwhile, Omega continued to improve its Swiss movements Omega fake watches, including the fourth generation of Speedmasters (reference 105.012) with “Professional” in the name. The addition of “Professional” had little to do with NASA’s qualification as Omega had already used the title in 1964. Rather, Omega added it to reflect the updated case of this model — a 42mm asymmetrical case with lyre lugs and crown guards. These guards were there to prevent the pushers from getting damaged or even knocked off. The former Speedmaster generations featured straight-lug cases with smaller diameters (39.7mm for the 105.003 and CK2998 and 38.6mm for the CK2915 with steel bezels).

Omega then started shipping these 1:1 China Omega replica watches to NASA as well. This is how the famous Apollo 11 crew — Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins — all ended up wearing fourth-generation Speedmasters. Armstrong and Aldrin received the Speedmaster Professional ref. 105.012(-65 for Armstrong’s), and Collins wore a Speedmaster Professional 145.012-68 (which we covered here).

Internal NASA reference codes for the Speedmaster

These Omega super clone watches for sale all used the same internal NASA reference number — SEB1210039-002 (the 105.003 used the -001 designator) — engraved on the case back and a unique number engraved on the side of the case, near the lugs.

We don’t know where Buzz Aldrin’s Speedmaster is

Armstrong’s watch had serial number 46, Aldrin’s 105.012 had serial number 43, and Collins’s 145.012-68 had serial number 73. The story goes that Armstrong left his Speedmaster behind in the capsule as a backup for the malfunctioning board clock. Collins and Armstrong’s wholesale replica Omega Speedmaster Professional watches are now on display in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Apparently, Aldrin’s Speedmaster suffered a different fate and was lost during transportation to the Smithsonian in Washington, DC.

Earlier this year, Michael Collins passed away, leaving Buzz Aldrin as the only living Apollo 11 astronaut. Though his original Speedmaster may have been lost, rest assured that he is not without high quality Omega Speedmaster fake watches on his wrist.

No Speedmaster with caliber 861 on the Moon

The Speedmaster 105.003 and Speedmaster Professional 105.012 and 145.012 were worn to (and on) the Moon until the very last Apollo mission in 1972. But although Omega’s caliber 861 had already debuted in 1968, the Speedmaster Professional 145.022 with this movement never made it onto the Moon (only near it during Apollo 17 when astronaut Ron Evans used it as an onboard instrument). Omega stuck to shipping the Speedmasters with the NASA-qualified caliber 321.

Today’s Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch

Though Omega briefly considered discontinuing it in the 1990s, the Speedmaster Professional remained in the catalog for all these years, even when it didn’t match the brand’s innovative product developments anymore. Not only that, but the manufacturing of the watch wasn’t so different from how it was decades ago. This changed in 2021 when Omega introduced the new online replica Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatches featuring caliber 3861.

A Master Chronometer Moonwatch

This is a Master Chronometer-certified movement with an average accuracy of +5/-0 seconds per day, anti-magnetism to >15,000 gauss, a Co-Axial escapement, and a silicon balance spring. This might not be the same movement that was on the Moon all those years ago, but it is very similar to the caliber 861 that NASA qualified in 1978 for the Space Shuttle program. It also greatly resembles Omega’s caliber 1861, one that was never qualified but still used by astronauts and cosmonauts leaving Earth via Russian soil. The METAS certification also covers water resistance by fully immersing the Omega fake watches shop in water, then applying pressure up to the guaranteed 50m mark.

Design cues of the new Moonwatch

Omega used the same case shape and dimensions as the fourth-generation Speedmaster, the 105.012/145.012 references. This means it has a 42mm case diameter and instantly recognizable lyre lugs. The dial and hands on the new model also look similar to the ones used in those references. It has a stepped dial and an identically shaped chronograph seconds hand. Whereas the original Moonwatch had an applied logo, you will only find this on the modern version with a sapphire crystal, while the Hesalite version features a printed logo on the dial. This helps to make a distinction between the two available variations. The sapphire version has a display back to showcase the beautiful caliber 3861. The Hesalite version is reference 310.30.42.50.01.001, and the sapphire version is reference 310.30.42.50.01.002. You can read our hands-on review of the modern Moonwatch here.

An additional modern Moonwatch

In 2019, Omega announced the return of its famous caliber 321. In July of that year, Omega revived it in the platinum Speedmaster Professional with an onyx dial and meteorite sub-dials. And in 2020, Omega introduced the steel Speedmaster Calibre 321, a watch based on the 105.003.

Gene Cernan’s watch

As a reference point for this recreation, Omega used the Moonwatch that Gene Cernan wore in 1972 as the last man on the Moon. It respects the dimensions and design of the original 105.003 Moonwatch but features a sapphire crystal and ceramic bezel. The reference number for this 39.7mm 1:1 quality replica Omega Speedmaster Calibre 321 watches is 311.30.40.30.01.001.

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Review: High Quality Fake Omega Railmaster Watches UK Pay Homage To Vintage Railroad Workwear

In 1957, Omega unquestionably had one of the most significant years in its history, with the Swiss brand debuting the Seamaster 300, the Speedmaster, and the Railmaster. And while the diver and chronograph now stand as two of the most iconic timepieces of all time, the same can’t be said for the Railmaster. Interested to discover if the top Omega replica watches is worthy of the legendary status shared by the Seamaster and Speedmaster, we’ve gotten a hold of the latest iteration of the timepiece for this hands-on review of the UK best fake Omega Seamaster Railmaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer 40mm watches.

Designed specifically to meet the needs of railroad engineers and workers — and to stand up to the magnetic and electric fields in which they worked — the original 1:1 cheap replica Omega Railmaster watches first debuted in 1957. Around this time, railroad engineers and workers comprised a large percentage of watch buyers and users, with some horological outfits like Hamilton seeing more than half of its entire stock being purchased by railroad companies and their employees. In the years and decades that followed the Railmaster’s 1957 release, the Swiss made Omega copy watches received various tweaks and updates as horological technology progressed. Most recently, the watch was reintroduced in its modern form in 2017 — following a brief hiatus after Omega pulled the plug on production half a decade earlier in 2012. This brings us to today’s Co-Axial escapement-equipped Railmaster that we’ve recently had the privilege of testing.

In typical Omega fashion, the latest perfect replica Omega Railmaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer watches feels unmistakably premium, with a decent (5.3oz) heft to it and, more importantly, an immaculate level of fit and finish that blatantly screams “Swiss luxury watch!” Despite having never tried one on prior to our recent weeks of testing, the Railmaster felt strangely familiar as soon as we got it on-wrist. It was at this moment that we realized that our familiarity with the watch was almost certainly owed to the time that we’d previously spent wearing and testing luxury fake Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra watches. From the shape of the case to the inverted triangular indices on the dial that it houses, there are numerous key aesthetic details shared by both timepieces. Both watches also look and feel very similar in terms of proportions, despite the Railmaster being slightly larger at 40mm (versus the Aqua Terra’s 38mm case).

Even with the undeniable similarities, there are some major differences between these two heritage Oceanmaster references. The Swiss movements super clone Omega Railmaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer watches sports a vintage-inspired vertically brushed “blue jeans” dial with a brushed stainless steel hand-set — a motif that perfectly matches the all-vertically-brushed finish of the Railmaster’s 40mm 316L stainless steel case. What’s more, while the Railmaster has always beens something of a cross between a sports watch and a field watch, this latest incarnation is definitely closer to the field watch-end of the spectrum, with a minimalistic and utilitarian dial paired with a spartan case design.

The AAA replica Omega Seamaster Railmaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer 40mm watches is constructed around a minimalistic case crafted from marine-grade 316L stainless steel. Sporting similar proportions to a field watch — albeit slightly thicker at 12.7mm — the Railmaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer boasts a 20mm lug size, a 47mm lug-to-lug, and, as its name suggests; a 40mm case. Perfectly, matching the denim-inspired dial, the case features an ultra-uniform uni-directionally-brushed finish running in the same vertical orientation as the blue jeans dial. This same brushed motif has also been applied to the case’s fixed bezel and knurled screw-down crown — the latter of which sports a raised Omega logo.

Water resistant down to 150 meters, the case has also been capped off with a caseback equipped with a NAIAD LOCK setup and an abstract seahorse design engraved into the metal. Additionally, not only can the watch withstand equivalent forces of up to 5,000 G on its head, but it’s also able to survive shocks corresponding to a 1-meter drop onto a hard wooden floor — with this latter trait being shared across the board by all modern 2023 Omega fake watches.

The best quality replica Omega Seamaster Railmaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer 40mm watches sports a beautifully-designed and finish brushed steel case, however, what really makes this watch shine is unequivocally its blue jeans-themed dial. Conjuring up images of the denim overalls traditionally worn by railroad workers, this brushed blue dial boasts subtle but noticeable variation and gradation in value and color — just like real denim. The dial is overlaid with four recessed cardinal hour markers and inverted triangular indices at every other hour. There’s also a brushed stainless steel baton-style hand-set that, like the dial’s indices, have been generously coated in Super-Luminova paint.

Sitting beneath a domed scratch‑resistant sapphire crystal that’s been bestowed with an anti‑reflective treatment on both sides, the dial also features a few other nods to railroad cars and tracks. The perimeter of the dial is lined with a railroad-style motif. More importantly, the “Railmaster” script and seconds hand both sport a rust-colored hue that’s been inspired by the golden color seen on oxidized rust-covered tracks and boxcars. The numerals on the dial are also limited just 12, 3, 6, and 9. Just below 12 o’clock is also a classic Omega logo, while just below 6 o’clock are the words “Swiss made.” This dial is completed by a crosshair pattern at its center.

Like the very first Railmaster watch from 1957, the modern China fake Omega Seamaster Railmaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer watches boasts stellar antimagnetic properties, with the ability to withstand magnetic fields of up to 15,000 gauss. Like its 55-hour power reserve, this capability is owed to the watch’s use of Omega’s Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8806 movement. Boasting METAS Master Chronometer certification, the 8806 is a self-winding motor that sports 35 jewels and beats at 3.5hz. What’s more, the movement also features a silicon balance spring that allows for full automatic winding in both directions thanks to a centrally-mounted rotor complete with rhodium-plated finishing and Arabesque Geneva waves.

Sadly, these latter details, while objectively premium and impressive, aren’t on display due to the watch lacking an exhibition case back. And, even your local watch shop will seldom get to appreciate the movement’s rhodium-plated finishing or Geneva waves very often, as its Co-Axial escapement has been designed to mitigate internal friction and wear and tear, resulting in less lubrication being required. This ultimately means markedly greater intervals between servicing compared to non-Co-Axial watches.

Omega sells the online replica Omega Seamaster Railmaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer 40mm watches with numerous band, strap, and bracelet options. This includes a whopping 46 different leather and textile NATO straps, as well as more than a dozen two-piece straps such as numerous regular and alligator leather options. With that said, we’re extremely partial to the vertically-brushed staggered three-link bracelet that perfectly matches the finish of the 316L stainless steel case. This bracelet boasts a slightly modified take on a push-button butterfly clasp that features a two-stage opening setup with a lasered Omega logo. Also of note is the fact that the entire watch tips the scales at only 5.3oz, and that’s when it’s equipped with the steel three-link bracelet.

As a more elegant and upscale alternative to a traditional field watch, the wholesale replica Omega Seamaster Railmaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer 40mm watches offers a great deal of versatility, lending itself to a wide variety of settings, wardrobes, and uses. Additionally, with a steel bracelet, a 40mm case size, 150 meters of water resistance, and solid lume, the Seamaster Railmaster also objectively makes for a fantastic everyday watch — albeit one of the objectively premium variety.

The watch also does a superb job of paying homage to the pocket watches and timepieces carried by railroad workers of yesteryear, without coming off as overly gimmicky or outside the box. While it’s definitely aimed at buyers with a more formal aseptic taste, the Omega Seamaster Railmaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer 40mm is nonetheless well worth a look for anyone shopping for a thoroughly versatile and high-end watch.

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Luxury UK Omega Speedmaster Fake Watches Mysteries Unraveled! What Have We Learned During The Past Decade?

Are you about to get sucked into one of those shows about a lost artifact? Will it be an episode that plods on until the last minute to inform you that the lost city of “X” still hasn’t been found? Of course not! This is Speedy Tuesday, after all, and we’re here for you. Today, though, we thought we’d recap some of the Swiss made replica Omega Speedmaster watches mysteries that have been solved since the beginning of this series. (A special thanks to teammate Lex for his participation in our cover shot — he looks as though he’s unfurling the Dead Sea Scrolls!)

Balazs and I were recently podcasting, and we commented about the UK cheap fake Omega Speedmaster watches mysteries that have been solved since Speedy Tuesday first came to light in 2012. We then received a comment about this and decided to write about some of the facts that have surfaced over the past decade. For sure, there’s still plenty to learn, so the “gumshoeing” will continue!

Speedy Tuesday at a glance

Our podcast listener wasn’t necessarily asking solely about uncovered Speedmaster mysteries. The comment referred to how perfect Omega Speedmaster replica watches lore has been documented since 2012. For certain, week in and week out, this column serves as a reference point for all topics related to one of the coolest chronographs in the galaxy. Yes, this column does support yet another query we addressed on a recent podcast about whether Speedy fans are the most fanatical in the watch world. Like it or not, we’ve covered the Speedy exhaustively and will continue to do so. Along the way, some rather interesting details have come to light.

The Moonwatch contenders and the real McCoy

One of my favorite resolved Speedmaster mysteries involves the Speedy and some Speedy-adjacent news. Until January 2019 in Biel/Bienne, most felt that the lyre-lugged Speedmasters were the first intended Moonwatches. In actuality, the top Omega copy watches that passed the initial NASA tests was none other than the 105.003 (RJ has penned an incredibly concise story on how this occurred). The 105.012 and 145.012 models came later.

Also, the true identity of the other NASA-tested wristwatches was not public knowledge. We knew that a Rolex and a Wittnauer were in the hunt, but the exact models were a guess. While I don’t recall much speculation about the tested Rolex reference, the Wittnauer was often a topic of discussion. Collectors assumed that NASA tried the spacey reference 242T perhaps because of its all-black dial. However, it was actually the white-dialed 235T that attempted and failed to make it to a spacesuit. For good measure, we also learned that a Rolex 6238 “Pre-Daytona” also got a (moon)shot.

The gold BA345.0802 was limited to 300 pieces

In 2014, RJ met astronaut Thomas Stafford and had the opportunity to photograph his gold BA345.0802. This was a curious watch because it debuted in 1980 as an Apollo 11 commemorative edition. That’s 11 years after the Moon landing, which is an odd birthday. It turns out that it was also a celebration of Omega’s caliber 861 gaining NASA certification for use in the Space Shuttle program. Nearly 10 years ago, many believed the production run to be around 300 units. By 2019, this exact number was confirmed. This is one of those 1:1 replica Omega Speedmaster watches mysteries that hinges upon a small detail, but that’s why we love watches. Oh, and Omega also produced a white gold variant in a truly rare quantity of 20 pieces.

The First Omega in Space (FOiS) uses a new case

The discontinued First Omega in Space is one of the more popular modern AAA China Omega Speedmaster super clone watches. Fittingly, the watch debuted at Basel in 2012 for the 50th anniversary of Wally Schirra’s Mercury-Atlas 8 mission. This was an important mission because — you guessed it — Schirra wore his very own Speedmaster CK2998, and it became the first Omega in space. These numbered but not limited watches were beloved during their eight-year production run. Despite the use of a sapphire crystal, the “FOiS” features many vintage touches.

The key detail that fans loved was the use and return of a smaller 39.7mm case with straight lugs. This alone was enough to cause excitement, but many fans didn’t stop to realize that Swiss movements Omega replica watches wasn’t offering a 1:1 copy of Schirra’s CK2998. The lugs have bevels or chamfers, and unless they’ve been added to a vintage reference by an overzealous restorer, they’re not “correct.” Does that detract from the FOiS? Not at all, but it’s certainly worth mentioning!

The Apollo-Soyuz quantity confirmed

Back in 2016, RJ wrote about the reference 145.022 Apollo-Soyuz commemorative model that was produced in 1976. Omega produced this curious piece on behalf of Italian distributor De Marchi, and the run supposedly consisted of 500 pieces. However, there was rampant speculation that only 400 pieces saw the light of day. That may not seem like a huge difference, but these fake Omega watches for sale now easily crest €50K at auction, so facts are important. By 2022, though, RJ had spoken to enough experts, and the number of Apollo-Soyuz models now stands at 500. Per this article, confirmation of the larger run still didn’t hurt auction results. Perhaps it’s because this model is one of the earliest limited-edition Speedmasters. It also represents peace and happens to be quite attractive! Here again, this is one of those Speedmaster mysteries that is all about the details.

The Speedmaster X-33 (still) has real space chops

The Speedmaster X-33 debuted in 1998, and this watch was not some nod to modern trends around digital watches. No, the X-33 was tailor-made for space use, and astronaut Thomas Stafford was involved in its development. It had a titanium case and provided analog as well as digital information — local time, a perpetual calendar, a programmable alarm, a mission timer, a mission alarm, universal time (GMT), a universal alarm, a countdown timer (with alarm), and a chronograph. In other words, this wasn’t your astronaut grandfather’s high quality Omega Speedmaster replica watches!

It was certified for use by NASA on shuttle missions but was replaced in 2001 by the second-generation X-33. This watch contained some improvements that you can read about here, which also led to its NASA qualification. NASA still uses it for missions even though it was discontinued in 2010! What’s more, the third-generation X-33 Skywalker is the official equipment of all astronauts and cosmonauts who leave Earth via Russia. Perhaps knowledge about the X-33 doesn’t qualify as one of the Speedmaster mysteries, but I’d guess that few know that these fake Omega watches wholesale actually see action as official equipment.

Speedmaster mysteries still go unsolved

Has the watch community (or even Omega) solved all of the Speedmaster mysteries that exist? Of course not, and there are two topics that we (and countless others)would love to obtain answers on. First (and this would make international news) is the whereabouts of Buzz Aldrin’s Moonwatch from the Apollo 11 Moon landing. Apparently, Aldrin sent the replica Omega watches shop to the Smithsonian after the mission, and it was lost on the way. This is, arguably, the most important wristwatch in history, and no one knows where it is. Is Elvis roaming around with it somewhere in Montana?

The second mystery is far more nerdy and would definitely not make international news. However, it would end a lot of speculation from Speedy collectors. Simply put, we want to know how many Speedmaster “Tintins” are floating around within Earth’s orbit! This quiet release from 2013 took a long time to catch on with collectors, but it has achieved a cult-like status. If you read my 2016 article on this watch, note the statistical approach that one person took when trying to unlock the true number of Tintins. Fun stuff!

Only the beginning

If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool Speedy fan, today’s article wasn’t news. However, we have new Swiss top fake Omega Speedmaster watches admirers joining the fray every single day, and this can hopefully serve as a small primer on some of the information that has come to light since 2012. It may even inspire some to start detective work of their own to help the cause. After all, there’s always something to learn.

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Making History In 14 Seconds: Best UK Replica Omega Watches’ Essential Precision During The Apollo 13 Mission

When Apollo 13’s mission came about on April 11, 1970, Omega had already been an invaluable support to NASA, with the perfect UK replica Omega Speedmaster watches’ pledge in “flight qualified for all manned space missions”. While it was the first watch worn on the moon in 1969 during Apollo 11’s first moon landing, it wasn’t until the Apollo 13 mission in 1970 that Swiss made Omega fake watches’ critical precision was best represented.

Commanded by veteran astronaut James Lovell, with Command Module Pilot Jack Swigert, and Lunar Module Pilot, Fred Haise; Apollo 13 was destined for the moon: the third human lunar landing to inspect, survey and sample selenological materials in the preselected Fra Mauro Formation (a formation of highlands on the near side of the moon) — the next successful chapter of the Apollo project.

“The watch was a critical backup,” said James Ragan, the NASA engineer who first tested and qualified the 1:1 online Omega Speedmaster fake watches in 1964; as the three astronauts were each equipped with Omega Speedmaster Professional chronographs — part of NASA’s official kit for all manned missions since 1965. “If the astronauts ever lost the capability of talking to the ground, or the capability of their digital timers, the only thing they would have to rely on would be the watches on their wrists. It needed to be there for them if they had a problem.”

Unfortunately, a major problem did occur for Apollo 13 just two days after launch, when an oxygen tank exploded on board, and crippled the Service Module, plunging the astronauts into a truly perilous situation.

The infamous “Houston, we’ve had a problem here” was transmitted back to Earth, and the mission to the moon was promptly abandoned. As part of the innovative rescue strategy directives from Houston, the astronauts were forced into the Lunar Module, where they had to shut down nearly all power to conserve energy, rendering their digital timers obsolete, and leaving them at the mercy of dark and freezing conditions.

Apollo 13 faced many serious challenges over the next several days, as NASA worked around the clock to overcome the increasingly volatile situation. By then, the aborted mission had drifted off course by roughly 60 to 80 nautical miles; this meant that the module would re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at the wrong angle, and bounce back into space with no chance of recovery.

During a time when there was simply no room for error, Omega’s essential precision was called for. Without their digital timers, Swigert instead used his cheap replica Omega Speedmaster chronograph watches to time the required burn of the engine for an exact 14 seconds, while Lovell guided the craft manually, using the Earth’s horizon as his guide.

Much to everyone’s relief, the maneuver back to Earth was carried out perfectly, and on April 17, Apollo 13 achieved a splashdown in the South Pacific Ocean, Southeast of American Samoa and 6.5km from the recovery ship USS Iwo Jima; 142 hours and 54 minutes after launch.

What started off as a mere backup, the luxury Omega copy watches came to play its crucial part in precise timekeeping, and performed exactly as intended. Mission Commander James Lovell later said: “We used the Omega watch that Jack had on his wrist, and I had to control the spacecraft. Jack timed the burn on the engine to make that correction to get us back home safely.”

Later that year, on October 5, 1970, Swiss movements Omega super clone watches received NASA’s illustrious “Silver Snoopy Award” — a 925 sterling silver pin that has become one of the highest honors for those in the aerospace industry, with no more than 1% of eligible recipients; as a mark of gratitude for its contributions to the success of human space flight missions, and the major role it played in the “successful failure” of Apollo 13.