Short Answer
"Omega 1501" does not match a documented Omega model name. Omega's public reference tables list 1960s case numbers in the 1500 range, and movement tables list calibers 550 to 565, 750 to 752, and 1000 to 1045. No caliber 1501 appears in those tables. A watch sold as a "replica Omega 1501" is a copy of a vintage Omega case style, and the number in the listing title works as a search term.
Where the Number Comes From
Omega used two numbering systems in the 1960s. Case numbers sit on the inside of the caseback in a format like 165.002. Era catalogs group cases in the 1400 to 1600 band across Seamaster, De Ville, and Geneve lines. A four-digit number such as 1501 can be read off a case stamp, and sellers reuse it. Caliber numbers are separate. Omega stamped caliber numbers on the movement bridge, not on the case.
What is unknown
No public Omega service document in the sources checked here names a caliber 1501. Treat any listing that pairs the number with a named factory movement as unverified.
What Sellers Ship Under This Label
- Movement: quartz, or a low-grade automatic such as a 21-jewel Chinese copy of a Miyota pattern. Photos of the balance wheel and rotor separate the two.
- Case size: 34 mm to 36 mm on vintage style builds, 39 mm to 41 mm on modern homages.
- Crystal: mineral glass with no anti-reflective coating, or acrylic on vintage style builds.
- Dial: pad printed text. Inspect the "Swiss Made" line and the logo feet at 10x zoom. Spacing errors show there.
- Caseback: laser etched or stamped numbers. Original Omega stamps sit deeper and hold sharper edges.
Checklist Before You Buy
- Ask for a photo of the movement with the rotor removed.
- Compare the caseback stamp to a real reference in the Omega archive or a dealer database.
- Check the crown. Signed crowns have cut edges, not painted logos.
- Compare the price to a real vintage Omega of the same case size. Steel 1960s Seamaster models trade from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Copies sell for tens of dollars.
Legal Status in the US
Import of counterfeit watches violates 19 U.S.C. 1526. Trafficking carries penalties under 18 U.S.C. 2320. U.S. Customs and Border Protection seizes counterfeit shipments at ports of entry. A single watch in a personal shipment can be seized and destroyed, and the buyer gets no refund from the seller in most seizure cases.