How long would it take to switch a real 8800 movement with a fake?

In order for the movement to be fake, someone would have had to remove the case back, remove the balance wheel and movement, attach the balance wheel to the fake movement, reattach the movement and put the whole thing back together- all in "maybe three minutes" and that doesn't include the number of seconds required to walk away and back.

They would have to be completely set up to perform such an operation, with all of the right tools and equipment, and it would require High Precision training, all within the highly secure Airport that is designed to not let such things happen. In essence, it would require a very well equipped and highly trained conspiracy at a pretty big level.

Your concern is irrational, and I hope this helps put you at ease.

Regarding airport security, if you wish to avoid this sort of incident in the future you could travel with the watch on a rubber strap and the metal bracelet in your packed luggage if you feel you have to have it, as it is possible that the amount of metal present in the bracelet helped set off a sensitive detector which would warrant an inspection. Also, before you enter the final airport scanner, it may help if you let the operator know that you are wearing your watch still.

I think you did the right thing by keeping it on personally, and I wouldn't at all be worried about the resulting inspection. My advice when going through an airport would definitely be to never put your watch in an open tray- ever! If you choose not to wear it through the scanner in the future put it in a jacket pocket by itself or something.

So not only did they swap the movement for an otherwise identical 8800 with no tells for being a fake whatsoever, but they also engraved your existing number on the new movement? In 3 minutes. Err OK, to what end would they do that? There must be some reason why you are worried, what is really worrying you? To set your mind at rest, if the number on watch and movement matches that on your cards then that is the watch and movement you originally purchased. Nothing visible in those pics looks to have been monkeyed with. There are fake Omega movements out there but that isn't one.

It's not what people get up to these days, it's what they can get up to in the time-frame you've given us.

I think the concern voiced by some of the people here is that your thought itself, or to what degree you allowed it to impact your emotional state, is abnormal. That is, it maybe totally normal for you to think of such things, but it isn't something that most other people do. It's also irrational, because any rational, logical thought process that examines how this could happen would come to the inescapable conclusion that it isn't possible.

If it has to do with your nervousness or your state of health then I wish you the best of luck working on that- no judgment from me at all, and I sincerely hope you're working on it.

No not really, if you are worried then its best to check. I have handled very good fakes but yours isn't one of them, it's the worst kind of fake: the real thing. I have the same watch and love it, that's why I am confident in this assertion as I can compare directly.

Heck of a first post @amack, welcome. Don't worry, there is plenty paranoia here on OF, you have found a good place.