A faux Apollo 13 Snoopy is a replica of the Omega Speedmaster Silver Snoopy Award, the watch Omega released to mark the Apollo 13 mission and the Silver Snoopy Award that NASA astronauts gave the brand in 1970. A good replica copies the 42 mm steel case, the blue dial and ceramic bezel, and the Snoopy-themed caseback. The animated caseback, not the dial, is where most fakes fall short.
Why Apollo 13 and Snoopy belong to the same story
In April 1970 an oxygen tank ruptured on Apollo 13 and the crew abandoned the planned landing. To get home they had to fire the lunar module engine by hand for roughly 14 seconds, with no computer timing the burn. The crew timed it with a Speedmaster, and the correction worked. Later that year NASA presented Omega with the Silver Snoopy Award, a pin astronauts hand out for work that protects flight safety. Snoopy became the symbol because the Peanuts character was already tied to NASA's safety program, so the Apollo 13 Snoopy nickname stuck to the watches that followed.
Which watches the replicas follow
Two references feed almost every faux Apollo 13 Snoopy on the market:
- 2015, 45th anniversary. A white dial with dark sub-dials, a black bezel, and Snoopy details tied to the mission, including a caseback engraved with a line about what you can do in 14 seconds.
- 2020, 50th anniversary. A blue dial with silver-toned sub-dials, a blue ceramic bezel with a white tachymeter scale, and the moving Snoopy caseback. Most current replicas chase this version.
Both are hand-wound chronographs with no date. If a listing shows a Snoopy dial with a date window at 3 or 4:30, it is not modeled on either reference.
The caseback animation is the real test
On the 2020 watch, a sapphire caseback hides a small Snoopy in a command module that travels around a rotating Earth disc when the chronograph runs. Reproducing that linkage is expensive, so replicas split into three groups:
- Printed or engraved caseback. Snoopy is a static graphic. Cheap, obvious, and easy to spot.
- Decorated but static. The scene is molded in relief, sometimes with a printed Earth, but nothing moves.
- Linked animation. The chronograph drives Snoopy around the disc while the Earth rotates. This tier matches the genuine layout.
To test it, start the chronograph and watch the caseback for a full minute. Snoopy should travel, not jitter in place, and the Earth should turn at a steady rate.
Dial, bezel, and case details worth checking
- Sub-dial texture. The genuine sub-dials carry a fine concentric finish. Flat, glossy sub-dials look wrong under light.
- Tachymeter scale. Numbers should be crisp and evenly filled. Smudged or shallow printing is the most common flaw.
- Hands. Broad arrow style with clean edges and flat lume. Rough polishing shows at the tip.
- Case profile. Twisted lugs with a defined bevel, a step between case and bezel, and pushers that click without grinding.
- Crystal. Domed sapphire with anti-reflective coating on the inside. A flat or hazy crystal breaks the look.
Movements you will find inside
Most replicas use a hand-wound chronograph movement based on the Seagull ST19 family, which at least matches the real watch's winding feel and sub-dial layout. Higher tiers use a clone of the Omega 1861 or 3861 architecture with a closer bridge shape and better finishing. Automatic movements with a rotor show up in some listings, and they are a giveaway, because no Silver Snoopy Speedmaster was automatic. Ask for a movement photo before you buy.
Price tiers and what they signal
Entry tier copies usually have a static caseback, printed dial details, and a mineral crystal. Mid tier adds sapphire, better printing, and a decorated movement but keeps the static caseback. Top tier is the only group that attempts the animated caseback and the enamel-filled bezel scale. If a listing claims animation at an entry price, treat the claim as unverified until you see video of the chronograph running.
Owning a replica honestly
A faux Apollo 13 Snoopy has no Omega warranty, no service path through the brand, and no collector value. Water resistance is a claim, not a guarantee, so keep it away from pools and showers. Disclose it as a replica if you ever resell, and never let a buyer assume it is genuine, since passing a copy off as the real watch is fraud in most markets.
Quick checklist before you buy
- Confirm which reference the replica follows.
- Ask for video of the chronograph running with the caseback visible.
- Request close-ups of the dial, bezel scale, and case flanks.
- Confirm a hand-wound movement and no date window.
- Check the return policy and whether the seller labels the item as a replica.