Earlier this year, Omega unveiled its first Olympic 2026 timepiece to mark the upcoming Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, where it will serve as the official timekeeper for the 32nd time. This is the best-selling replica Omega Seamaster 37mm Milano Cortina watches, arguably the most compelling Olympic edition Omega has ever created. For all that it is a simple watch, it has all the elements that’ll make you do a double take – classical proportions, proprietary Moonshine gold, a dial in Grand Feu enamel, some of the most desirable lugs in watch design, Master Chronometer movement, and all at a decent price, just under US$20,000.
The Seamaster 37mm Milano Cortina 2026 draws directly from a lineage of Seamasters made for the Olympics, beginning with the Seamaster XVI created for the 1956 Melbourne Games. That early model was offered in 34mm yellow or rose gold cases and came with two types of dial – one bearing the Olympic Cross of Merit, commemorating the prestigious award Omega received in 1952 for its timekeeping contributions, and another marked with “XVI.” These cheap fake Omega watches were defined by their angular, so-called “dog-leg” lugs, which would later appear on a few standard-production Seamasters but came to be most closely associated with the Constellation from the late 1950s onward. Omega revisited this design in 2008 for the Beijing Olympics with the Seamaster XXIX. At 37mm, it was larger than its predecessor and featured “XXIX” on the dial.
The top copy Omega Seamaster Milano Cortina watches has a case made of 18k Moonshine gold, a proprietary gold alloy first introduced by Omega in 2019. It is a variation of 18k yellow gold, meaning it contains 75% pure gold, but the remaining 25% alloy is what sets it apart. According to Omega, it includes silver, copper and palladium. The exact proportions are undisclosed, but the addition of palladium is key as it gives Moonshine gold a paler, more subdued tone than traditional yellow gold and helps the alloy resist fading over time. The name “Moonshine” refers to its softer hue, inspired by the light of the moon. Despite its dressy appearance, the case is depth rated to 100m.
Ultimately, the most striking aspect of the perfect replica Omega watches are the dog-leg lugs. They are some of the most beautiful lugs in the history of watch design. Another well-known model, apart from the Constellation, to have such lugs is the Patek Philippe Ref. 2523. One thing you often notice on vintage examples is that the lugs, particularly in gold, tend to be worn down. The sharp transitions and faceted surfaces that once gave them their sculptural definition are often softened or rounded off, and bevelling is almost non-existent. This is precisely makes the crisp, untouched lugs on the new model so striking; they restore the original design intent with a level of sharpness and integrity quite rarely seen.
The case measures 37mm across, 11.4mm thick and 45mm lug-to-lug. The strong, angular lugs give it the presence of a much larger watch on the wrist. This is a watch I had my eye on from the moment it was announced and had it in my mind that if I was still thinking about it after all the launches at W&W, I’d come back to it. I did, but when I finally tried it on, it just didn’t sit right on my frustratingly small 5.4-inch wrist. Traditional lugs offer a bit more forgiveness on thinner wrists, but with lugs this sharply angled, there’s a clear visual cue for how they should sit, and when they don’t, it shows. Hence, to give a more accurate sense of how the Swiss clone Omega watches wears beyond biological anomalies, here’s a shot of it on my colleague, Katherine:
The dial is devoid of any Olympic branding; the only reference to the Games appears on the caseback. It features a white Grand Feu enamel base, while the markings are rendered in grey enamel. These are applied in an additional firing stage, typically at a lower temperature of around 600°C, once the base layer is complete. Known as Petit Feu enamel, this process is considerably more involved than standard ink printing, which requires no firing to fix.
The dauphine hands, facetted hour markers, and hexagonal crown are not only well-matched to the angular case design, they are also executed to a remarkably high standard. The hour markers that give the buy replica Omega watches UK its midcentury character are each crisply faceted and rendered in Moonshine gold, as is the applied Omega logo, and the dial is topped by a box sapphire crystal. The result is a quietly luxurious watch that makes no effort to draw attention, yet rewards it.
Inside the watch is the self-winding Master Chronometer Caliber 8807, which is the same movement found in the 1:1 fake Omega Seamaster Diver 300M watches. It is the no-date version in the 8800 series of movements, which succeeded the 2500 series and marked Omega’s transition from modified ETA movements to fully in-house calibres purpose-built for the Co-Axial escapement and Master Chronometer standards.
It has a bi-directional winding system, and both the rotor and the balance bridge are in Sedna gold. It’s a very respectable Swiss movement Omega copy watches fully deserving of display, but it’s hidden behind a solid case back bearing the Olympic branding, perhaps a fair trade-off for the dial’s clean, uncluttered appearance.
The movement runs on a single barrel that delivers up to 55 hours of power reserve and as with almost all high quality clone Omega watches today, operates at the uncommon frequency of 25,200 beats per hour (3.5 Hz), a rate that is said to strike a balance between accuracy, longevity, and energy consumption. It has a free sprung balance, silicon hairspring and of course, the Co-Axial escapement.
As a Master Chronometer, the movement meets standards that go well beyond COSC certification. While COSC remains the foundation, meaning every Master Chronometer contains a COSC-certified movement, additional criteria must be met. Most notably, a Master Chronometer must achieve a precision of 0/+5 seconds per day, tighter than the -4/+6 range required by ISO 3159. This reflects the best of modern industrial watchmaking where precision and reliability have been “embedded” into the fundamental 1:1 quality Omega replica watches design itself through advanced material science and machining, allowing for consistent chronometric performance at scale.
A considerable plus is that it tests the resistance to functional failure at magnetic fields up to 15,000 gauss, which is far beyond anything encountered in daily life, on top of testing the power reserve, durability and waterproofness. The test subjects the watch to magnetic fields of 15,000 gauss, during which it must continue running without interruption, which is a demanding standard, given that most mechanical AAA imitation Omega watches would stop at a fraction of that intensity. More importantly, METAS also evaluates rate stability after exposure. The movement must continue to meet strict chronometric criteria once demagnetised, ensuring not just survival but resilience. This two-stage approach – functional continuity and post-exposure performance – makes the test highly relevant in practice and the most rigorous measure of magnetic resistance in the industry.
For all that’s been said, the appeal of the Milano Cortina is immediate. It captures the spirit of a vintage Olympic Seamaster or Constellation, while delivering the reliability and performance expected of modern watchmaking. It represents the best of AAA+ knock off Omega watches past and present, and from a design perspective, there is simply no alternative at the moment.
