Short answer
An Omega reference 2579 is an early 1950s watch, and "fake Omega 2579" gets used for two different things. The first is a real vintage Omega that has been re-cased, re-dialed, or re-stamped with 2579 numbers to raise its value. The second is a modern replica built from scratch to look like that reference. The vintage-franken version is the one that catches experienced buyers, because most of the watch is old and only the parts that carry the money are wrong.
What the 2579 actually is
The 2579 belongs to Omega's early-1950s reference block, the same numbering family that produced the 2576 and 2577. In practice that means a Seamaster-line case, roughly 34 to 35mm across without the crown, a small seconds sub-dial on most examples, and a bumper or early rotor automatic inside. Case metal varies: stainless steel is common, gold-capped and solid gold versions exist. Exact specs shift between production runs, so treat any single listing as one example, not the rule.
That matters because people quote specs as if they were fixed. They were not.
Why this reference gets faked
Three reasons, and they stack.
- Vintage casebacks were stamped, not laser-etched. A clean stamp is easy to add to a plain case.
- Small seconds dials were reprinted by the thousands in the 1980s and 1990s, and a good reprint is hard to separate from an original at arm's length.
- Automatic movements from that era were made in huge numbers, so a correct-looking calibre can be dropped into a case that never held one.
A real watch with a wrong dial is still mostly real. That is what makes it dangerous.
Case and caseback checks
Look at the reference stamp under magnification. Factory stamps from that period are crisp and evenly struck, with the digits aligned to the caseback curve. Re-stamps tend to sit slightly off-axis, and the metal around them shows polishing that the rest of the case does not. Check lug profile too: if the lugs have been welded or reshaped, the case lines go soft near the spring bars.
Also check case thickness. Re-cased watches often sit on a case from a different reference with a similar diameter but a different profile.
Dial and hands
Original dials from this era show age in a specific way: the lacquer crazes, the lume plots darken to a warm brown, and the printing sits slightly raised under raking light. A reprint usually looks too flat, too even, and too black. The minute track is the giveaway. On reprints the numerals and hash marks are often spaced a hair wide, and the sub-dial printing does not line up with the hand pivot.
Hands should match the dial's condition. Bright, unmarked hands on a heavily aged dial is a mismatch worth walking away from.
Movement
Open the back or ask for clear photos of it. The movement should be period-correct, and the calibre number should fit the reference. Look for tool marks on the screw heads and a rotor or bumper weight that does not sit flush. Service parts are fine. Mismatched bridges and a calibre that belongs to a later decade are not.
Modern replicas
A current replica of a 2579 will usually get the silhouette right and the details wrong. The dial printing is the weak point, followed by the crown size and the caseback engraving depth. If you are buying a replica on purpose, judge it on those three things and ignore the marketing language about "1:1" anything. Nothing from the 1950s is being replicated to the micron.
Before you pay
- Ask for photos of the caseback stamp, the movement, and the dial under angled light.
- Compare the reference against Omega's own archive records, not against forum hearsay.
- Price it against recent auction results for the same reference in similar condition.
- Walk away from any seller who will not show the movement.
If the price is far below the market for a clean example, you are not lucky. You are the exit liquidity.