512 is not an Omega reference number. In replica wholesale catalogs, codes like 512 mark a production batch or a stock-keeping unit. The code identifies the run a seller ships. It does not identify a watch model, a movement, or a factory.
The watch sold under that code copies the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M, a 42 mm stainless steel dive watch. Omega launched the line in 1993 and updated it in 2018. Replica factory codes change without notice. No public registry maps 512 to one factory or one version.
Genuine Seamaster Diver 300M specs
- Case: 42 mm stainless steel, 300 m water resistance
- Movement: Co-Axial Master Chronometer calibre 8800 or 8900
- Certification: METAS Master Chronometer, tested to 15,000 gauss, 0/+5 seconds per day
- Dial: ceramic with a laser-engraved wave pattern
- Crystal: sapphire on both sides
- List price: about $6,400 USD on a steel bracelet, varies by market
- Warranty: 5 years from Omega
Where replicas differ
- No METAS certification. The movement is a clone caliber or a third-party unit.
- Omega service centers refuse counterfeit watches. No parts, no service.
- No factory warranty. Returns depend on the seller, not a manufacturer.
- Water resistance is claimed, not tested. Gaskets and caseback seals vary by batch.
- Case finishing, bezel action, and dial print vary between batches sold under the same code.
Legal status in the United States
Counterfeit watches infringe Omega trademarks. Importing them violates 19 U.S.C. 1526, and CBP seizes and destroys shipments. Selling them violates the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. 1114. Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. 2320, with up to 10 years in prison for a first offense. A personal-use purchase is not a federal crime in most cases, but a seized parcel is not refunded.
Purchase risks
Sellers who use batch codes like 512 sit outside US consumer protection law. Payment methods are bank transfer, crypto, or gift cards. Chargebacks are rare. Customs seizure means total loss. Counterfeit listings also carry card fraud and data theft risk.
What the code does not tell you
Listings attach claims to 512 such as Swiss movement or 1:1. Neither term has a standard definition. Ask for the factory name, the movement caliber, and photos of the unit in stock. If the seller cannot name the factory, the code is a marketing label.
Verification steps
- Check the model number on the caseback against Omega's reference format.
- Confirm the movement through a METAS test card, which genuine Master Chronometer watches include.
- Weigh the watch. Genuine steel cases and bracelets have documented weights.
- Have a watchmaker open the caseback. Counterfeit movements show unfinished plates and non-Omega rotor engraving.