The short answer
When people search for an "Apollo 13 Speedmaster," they almost always mean the Silver Snoopy Award version. Omega has made two modern ones: the 2015 45th anniversary with the silver dial (ref 311.32.42.30.04.003, 1,970 pieces), and the 2020 50th anniversary with the blue dial and animated caseback (ref 310.32.42.50.02.001). Replicas of both exist. They are not the same watch, and the tells are not the same either. Pick the reference you are chasing, learn three details on it, and buy from a seller who says "replica" out loud.
Why this watch gets copied so hard
The Speedmaster earned its place in Apollo 13 history. When the oxygen tank failed, the crew used the chronograph to time a 14 second mid-course correction burn that brought them home. NASA gave Omega a Silver Snoopy Award in 1970 for it. That story sells. It also means any Speedmaster with a Snoopy on the dial gets searched as an "Apollo 13" watch, whether it is the 2015 silver dial, the 2020 blue dial, or an older anniversary piece. Sellers know this and lean on the name.
Which version are you buying?
- 2015 45th anniversary. 42mm steel, silver sunburst dial, Snoopy on the small seconds subdial at 9 o'clock, caseback engraved with Snoopy and the line "What could you do in 14 seconds?" Hand-wound 1861 movement. 1,970 pieces.
- 2020 50th anniversary. 42mm steel, blue dial with Snoopy plus a small Earth and moon, Co-Axial Master Chronometer 3861 movement, and a caseback with an animated Snoopy in a Command Module. Not a limited run.
If a listing shows a Snoopy dial but the photos are too small to tell which, ask. A replica of the wrong version is the most common mistake I see.
The tells that actually matter
- Snoopy himself. On both real watches the figure is stamped with crisp edges and even white under a loupe. On cheaper replicas it is a flat print that looks blurry in phone photos and washes out in daylight.
- Subdial layout. The genuine 1861 and 3861 place the three subdials in a tight 3, 6, 9 arrangement. Copies built on generic automatic chronograph movements often push them toward the center or sit them slightly high.
- Caseback depth. The engraving and the "14 seconds" line on the 2015 are cut deep. On fakes they are etched thin and feel shallow under a fingernail. The 2020 animation is hard to copy well, so if it looks flat and printed, it is.
- Movement type. Both watches are hand-wound. A listing that says "automatic" is describing a movement that never lived in this watch.
- Dial finish. The 2015 dial is a silver sunburst that shifts as you turn it. The 2020 is a deep blue. Chalky, flat paint is the giveaway on 2015 copies.
Case, crystal, and the numbers
Both references are 42mm across, which is one reason replicas get close on size. Check thickness instead. Thin cases usually mean a quartz or a small automatic inside. Crystal matters too: the 2015 uses sapphire, and buyers who expect hesalite sometimes talk themselves into a copy by mistake. Push the chronograph. On a real Speedmaster the pushers have a firm, short throw and the reset snaps. On cheap copies the same action feels mushy and the seconds hand stutters.
Price sanity check
A replica of either Snoopy should sit in the low hundreds of dollars, not the low thousands. A genuine 2015 example trades far above that, and a genuine 2020 is still near retail. If a seller offers "genuine, box and papers" at a fraction of that, it is a replica with a printed card. Nothing else.
What to ask before you pay
- Which reference are you copying, 2015 or 2020?
- What movement is inside, and does it wind by hand?
- Case diameter and thickness.
- Crystal type.
- Close-up photos of the dial, the Snoopy stamp, and the caseback in daylight.
Bottom line
Buy it as a replica, wear it as a replica, and never pass it off as the real thing. Know the reference, check the Snoopy stamp, check the caseback, and confirm the movement winds by hand. That is most of the work done.