What "replica Seamaster 300M 291" refers to
The phrase joins the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M with the number 291. Omega does not use 291 as a reference number. Genuine Omega references run nine digits, for example 210.30.42.20.03.001. In a replica listing, 291 is a seller code, a batch label, or a photo set name. Two sellers can use 291 for two different watches. Ask for case diameter, movement name, and case material before you treat 291 as a fixed spec.
Genuine specs the replicas copy
The current Seamaster Diver 300M has a 42 mm steel case, a ceramic dial with a laser-cut wave pattern, a ceramic bezel insert with an enamel dive scale, a helium escape valve at 10 o'clock, sapphire crystals front and back, and a date at 6 o'clock. The movement is the Omega Co-Axial Master Chronometer calibre 8800 with a 55-hour power reserve. Water resistance is rated at 300 m. Magnetic resistance is 15,000 gauss. METAS certifies each Master Chronometer watch. Earlier 1990s models, including the GoldenEye version, used a 41 mm case and a quartz calibre 1538.
Replica tiers
- Quartz builds, $30 to $80. Steel case, mineral or sapphire crystal, Miyota or unbranded quartz.
- Mid tier, $100 to $250. Asian copies of the ETA 2824 or 2836, screw-down crown, a working helium valve on some examples.
- High tier, $300 to $600. A decorated clone of the 8800, sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both faces, ceramic bezel, solid end links, engraved caseback.
Details that survive photos: crown thread quality, bezel action and alignment at 12, wave pattern depth, lume color, date font, and caseback engraving. Weight and case thickness are hard to judge from listing photos.
Water resistance
A stamped 300 m on a replica case is a claim, not a test result. Most replica cases leave the factory without pressure testing. Gaskets may be thin or missing. Do not dive or swim with one.
Movement facts
Quartz replicas tick once per second. The genuine calibre 8800 beats at 25,200 vph, or 3.5 Hz. A clone running at 21,600 vph, or 3 Hz, will not match the sweep of the original. Some high tier clones put a decorated rotor over a Miyota 9015 or a Seagull movement. The movement is real. The finish is not.
Legal status in the US
Trafficking in counterfeit goods violates 18 U.S.C. section 2320 and the Lanham Act. U.S. Customs and Border Protection can seize counterfeit shipments at the border. The buyer can lose both the money and the watch. Personal purchase is not charged the same way as resale, but import remains prohibited.
Questions to send a seller
- Case diameter and case thickness, in mm
- Movement name and beat rate, in vph
- Case steel grade: 316L or 904L
- Crystal type and coating
- Pressure test result, if any
- Return policy and payment method
If a seller cannot answer these six items, the 291 code tells you nothing about the watch.