Short answer: "5th generation" is a seller and forum label, not an Omega model code. It marks a batch of counterfeit Speedmaster 1957 watches built from revised parts, usually a new case set, a corrected dial print, and a decorated hand-wind chronograph. The label tells you which batch you have. It does not tell you how close that batch sits to the genuine watch. Judge the piece on measurements, dial details, bezel construction, and movement architecture, one item at a time.
What the generation label covers
Replica makers revise a popular model in batches, and sellers number the batches. A 5th generation Speedmaster 1957 means the fifth major parts revision for that model in that workshop: a new case, a new dial, a new movement plate, or a combination of the three. Two sellers can use the same number for different watches in the same month. Treat it as a batch tag, not a grade.
Omega has reissued 1957-style Speedmasters more than once, including anniversary editions that differ in case diameter, bezel type, and movement. Confirm which version a replica copies before you compare anything.
Prerequisites
- Digital calipers that read to 0.01 mm
- A 10x loupe
- Photo of the genuine piece from the front, the side, and the back
- Caseback opening tool matched to the caseback notches
- Bright, angled light
Inspection steps
- Find the reference number and official dimensions of the 1957 edition the replica copies, then print the product photos at one-to-one scale.
- Measure the case with calipers at 3 to 9, at the top of the crystal, and across the lugs, and write the three numbers down.
- Compare the lug profile and the crown area to the photo: check for crown guards, the lug facet, and the gap between crown and case.
- Set the loupe on the dial and identify the logo type, the shape of the Speedmaster lettering, and the weight of the subdial numerals.
- Look at the subdial position and the step at the dial edge, since spacing errors are the most common mismatch between batches.
- Count the tachymeter numerals on the bezel and check the insert material and the fill inside the engraving.
- Press a fingernail against the crystal edge to separate acrylic from sapphire, and check the dome height against the photo.
- Turn the watch over and check caseback engraving depth, letter spacing, and the placement of any serial.
- Open the caseback and identify the movement: note the column wheel or cam, the jewel count, the balance cock finish, and any engraving on the bridge.
- Wind the crown and cycle the pushers through start, stop, and reset while you listen to the reset snap.
- Check the bracelet end link fit, the taper, the clasp stamping, and whether the links use screws or pins.
Where later batches usually improve
- Case diameter and lug-to-lug, which earlier batches often oversized
- Dial print weight and the subdial spacing
- Bezel numeral count and the fill inside the engraving
- Movement plate decoration and the shape of the balance cock
What the label does not tell you
A generation number says nothing about steel grade, lume behavior, water resistance, or part availability. It also says nothing about who assembled the watch or whether the movement was regulated. Two examples from the same batch can differ in beat error and power reserve. Ask for a timing reading and a caseback photo rather than a generation number alone.
Legal and practical limits
Counterfeit watches infringe a registered trademark, and U.S. law allows customs officers to seize shipments of them at the border. Omega and its parent company exclude counterfeit pieces from warranty, service, and parts supply, so a broken movement has to be repaired with generic parts. No inspection checklist changes those facts. Use this guide to understand what you are looking at, not to treat a replica as an investment.