Answer

A fake Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M is a counterfeit copy of a Swiss dive watch. Fakes sell for $50 to $600. Genuine Planet Ocean 600M watches start near $6,000 new. A copy can match the outline in photos. It does not match the movement, the materials, or the pressure testing.

Specs of the real watch

  • Water resistance: 600 m (2,000 ft).
  • Certification: Master Chronometer, tested by METAS.
  • Rate: 0 to +5 seconds per day after casing.
  • Magnetic resistance: 15,000 gauss.
  • Movement: Co-Axial Master Chronometer calibre 8800 (55 h reserve) or 8900 (60 h reserve).
  • Crystal: domed sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both faces.
  • Bezel: ceramic with a Liquidmetal dive scale on steel references.
  • Helium escape valve at 10 o'clock.

Where copies fail

  • Bezel: the real bezel turns with firm, even clicks. Copies feel loose and the triangle does not line up at 12.
  • Dial print: the "Seamaster" and "Professional" lettering on copies has thick strokes and wrong spacing. Real print is thin and even.
  • Date: window position, font, and magnification differ. The real date sits under a sapphire window at 2.5x.
  • Lume: real Super-LumiNova glows blue and fades over hours. Copy lume is dim and patchy.
  • Movement: copies use a Chinese or Japanese base with a decorated rotor. There is no free-sprung balance and no silicon hairspring. Rotor engraving text carries errors.
  • Caseback: real engravings are deep with sharp edges. The hippocampus and wave pattern are crisp.
  • Water resistance: fakes carry no pressure test. Gaskets and crowns leak.

Paperwork and checks

Each Master Chronometer watch ships with a METAS certificate card. The card lists a certificate number and the movement number. Omega can confirm a serial number through a service center or boutique. A seller who cannot supply the card, the box, and matching serials is a risk. Used Planet Oceans under $3,000 with no paperwork are fakes in most cases.

US law

18 U.S.C. 2320 makes trafficking in counterfeit goods a federal crime. Penalties reach 10 years in prison and $2,000,000 in fines for an individual. Customs and Border Protection seizes counterfeit watches at ports of entry. The personal-use exemption that covers some imports does not cover counterfeit goods.

Before you buy

  1. Check the asking price against current market listings.
  2. Ask for the METAS card, warranty card, and serial photos.
  3. Have a watchmaker open the caseback and inspect the balance and rotor.
  4. Request a pressure test result if the watch will see water.