The short answer
No NASA watch is called the Apollo 13 Snoopy. The phrase joins two things. First, the Silver Snoopy Award that NASA gave Omega on October 5, 1970 for the Speedmaster's role in the Apollo 13 rescue. Second, the Omega Speedmaster Snoopy editions that mark that award. Replica makers sell copies of those Speedmasters under the same model names. The copies use third-party movements and printed Snoopy art. Omega does not build them.
Apollo 13 and the award
Apollo 13 launched on April 11, 1970. An oxygen tank in the Service Module ruptured on April 13, 1970, about 56 hours into the flight. The crew powered down the Command Module and used the Lunar Module as a lifeboat.
To get home, the crew fired the LM descent engine for 14 seconds. Jack Swigert timed that burn with the Omega Speedmaster on his wrist as a backup to the LM's digital timer. NASA cited that use, plus earlier Gemini and Apollo service, when it gave Omega the Silver Snoopy Award. The pin itself is a flown item. Astronauts hand it to NASA employees and contractors. Fewer than 1 percent of the aerospace workforce has one.
The Snoopy Speedmaster editions
- 2003: Speedmaster Professional Snoopy Award, reference 3578.51.00, 5,441 pieces. Snoopy sits on the subdial at 9 o'clock.
- 2015: Silver Snoopy Award 45th Anniversary, 1,970 pieces.
- 2020: Silver Snoopy Award 50th Anniversary, Calibre 3861 Co-Axial Master Chronometer. It is not a numbered limited edition.
Every one of these is a hand-wound Speedmaster Professional with subdials at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock, a 42 mm steel case, 20 mm lugs, and no date. The 2020 model adds a moving Snoopy figure on the caseback that is tied to the chronograph.
What the copies copy
A replica Snoopy Speedmaster starts from the same base layout. Case diameter is 42 mm. Lug width is 20 mm. Thickness runs about 13 to 14 mm. Subdials sit at 3, 6 and 9.
The movement choice matters most. A genuine Speedmaster is hand wound, which lets the subdials sit at 3, 6 and 9. Many copies use a Seagull ST19 hand-wound chronograph, 21,600 vibrations per hour, about 40 hours of power reserve. Cheaper copies use an automatic Valjoux 7750 derivative. That movement puts subdials at 12, 6 and 9 and adds a date window. A seller who shows a 3-6-9 dial with a date at 3 o'clock is describing a watch that cannot match the genuine layout.
The caseback is the second gap. The 2020 caseback has a Snoopy figure that moves when the chronograph runs. Copies use a static engraving or print.
Checks before buying
- Dial: subdials at 3, 6 and 9, no date window.
- Movement: hand wound, not automatic.
- Thickness: 13 to 14 mm, not 15 mm or more.
- Snoopy art: applied metal or clean print, no smeared edges.
- Caseback: static art on most copies, moving art on the genuine 2020.
- Crystal: sapphire, with anti-reflective coating on the inside face.
- Certification: no replica carries METAS Master Chronometer certification.
- Price: copies sell from about $200 to $600. Genuine Snoopy editions trade in five figures on the secondary market.
Legal and service notes
Replicas carry Omega trademarks without a license. US Customs and Border Protection can seize counterfeit shipments, watches included. Omega service centers do not repair replicas or sell parts for them. The ST19 is an off-the-shelf movement. Parts are sold by suppliers, and independent watchmakers can service it.