NA! Buying a the real Mitsukoshi: a crazy hunt! 🤯

My goal was to purchase a genuine Mitsukoshi Speedmaster Moonwatch 3570.31, a very rare reference that will replace my “mod”. I succeeded 🥳, but what had I gotten myself into 😱! I was almost scammed and I exposed several fakes on Chrono24. Here’s my (long) story and hopefully this will help out others looking for one.

My Omega Speedmaster 3572.50 with a genuine Mitsukoshi dial (mod)

Over four years ago, I had my Speedmaster Moonwatch 3572.50 from 1999 fitted with the Mitsukoshi dial and hands. It’s a simple dial design with a powerful appearance. I enjoyed it a lot at first, but something started gnawing at me. Perhaps it is the purist in me or how the collection has grown over the years. My “Modsukoshi” - as I came to call it –stayed in the safe more and more often, even though I loved the looks of it. This summer holiday I made the final decision: the “Modsukoshi” has to go and a real Mitsukoshi must enter the watch collection! However, this turned out to be not as easy as it sounds...

The “Modsukoshi” came with me on my summer holiday.

The basics:
In 2003, Omega launched the very first steel Speedmaster Professional with a “panda dial”. It's reference 3570.31 and only 300 pieces were produced. It has the 1861 movement, hesalite crystal and the dial is silvery-white - popular in Japan at the time - with black subdials and applied indexes. A year later, the nearly identical Apollo 11 version was released, followed by the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

In case you wonder where the name ‘panda dial’ comes from... 😉

The Speedmaster 3570.31 was sold exclusively at the Japanese Mitsukoshi luxury department stores, hence the nickname “Mitsukoshi”. The price tag was around 2350 euros, based on the 2003 exchange rate. Does anyone have a time machine to lend?

Original Mitsukoshi Speedmaster ads in Japanese magazines, special thanks to @mountainunder

Okay, so what is the problem with buying a Mitsukoshi Speedmaster?
The case, bezel and caseback are completely identical to a regular 3570.50 Speedmaster Moonwatch and there are probably more “mods” than 3570.31s in circulation! Omega sold the service dials to authorised Omega watchmakers without asking any questions. These were then fitted to regular Speedmasters, creating a “mod” (short for modification).

Installation of the dial and hands by my watchmaker in 2021.

This sale of service parts was also seen with brands like Rolex. However, Omega kept on selling these parts for too long, resulting in a large number of “mods” due to the increasing popularity of the Speedmaster Moonwatch. Nowadays, it is no longer possible to order these parts separately. They are only available on a trade-in basis (approximately 850 euros), which has caused the prices of these sets and mods to skyrocket.

So what is the problem again?!
Well, there are many collectors who are 100% honest when selling their mod. But unscrupulous sellers will present it as an authentic Mitsukoshi Speedmaster, that has a price tag often four times higher than the actual “mod” they are selling. And this is where the danger lies.

Moonwatch Only also warns about the ‘danger’ of mods being sold as originals.

Front and back of an authentic Mitsukoshi Speedmaster, identical to a 3570.50 Speedmaster (apart from the dial and hands of course).

Okay I get it, so how do you find a genuine Mitsukoshi Speedmaster?
The right move initally seemed searching for a “full set” with the original Mitsukoshi stamped warranty card. This should state 三越 (Mitsukoshi in Japanese), country code 5340 (Japan) and reference 3570.31, with a date of sale between late 2003 and early 2004. Of course a regular 3570.50 Speedmaster could also have been sold in one of the Mitsukoshi department stores around that time and the dial was replaced later on. A fraudster can easily remove the handwritten reference number on the warranty card and replace it with “3570.31”. If it’s so easy to falsify, then a Mitsukoshi warranty card basicly becomes worthless, looking at huge premium you’re paying for it and it doesn’t tell you anything about the authenticity of the watch!

The real Mitsukoshi Speedmaster... which one is it?

It turned out that checking the serial number at an Omega watchmaker was the only true option. This is the only way you can check if it's a genuine Mitsukoshi edition! You do need to have good connections with an Omega watchmaker and many dealers do not disclose the full serial number in advance. Did I already mention this was a crazy hunt?

Note “Swiss made” at the bottom of the dials. Can you spot the difference? More on that later.

I was determined to find a real one and my search began in Japan, home of the Mitsukoshi Speedmaster. I first checked with two Japanese friends to see if they knew of any local offers, but the pickings had become scarce.

I eventually found a full set in Japan at a relatively competitive price, due to a good exchange rate. It came with an Mitsukoshi stamped Omega warranty card, which had the correct reference number on it. The dealer also had a very high rating on Chrono24 and owns several shops in Japan. This was the one! And several experts also didn’t see any red flags.

However, I could only receive the full serial number after placing the order and completing the payment. I first tried to order it directly via the dealer, as this is often more cost-effective due to the high costs of Chrono24 (sales fee for the dealer and a poor exchange rate for the buyer). Unfortunately, all attempts were unsuccessful due to a cultural barrier and the risk of a costly misunderstanding was too high.

I decided to order it through Chrono24. I again requested the serial number after the payment. I didn’t want to be stuck with very high import duties and return shipping costs, if the dealer had shipped the package immediately and the serial would not match in the Omega system upon arrival. Luckily I did receive the serial number directly after the payment...


“Good morning Andre, the serial number is 77146400. Is that sufficient for you to check?”
- Omega gives you a disappointing answer.
“You’ve got the be kidding me! Darnit…”

It turned out to be a fake Mitsukoshi Speedmaster! Thanks to the very kind help of my amazing Omega watchmaker, this “fake” was quickly exposed. A screenshot of the Omega system file was the hard and undeniable evidence! Robert-Jan Broer of Fratello Watches also immediately jumped on it and Omega HQ reported the same! It turned out to be a regular Speedmaster from 2005.

I was in a state of disbelief, this couldn't be true, could it?! Did I not pay enough attention, had I been so naive?! The warranty card had been tampered with and this highly reputable dealer didn't even know!

Thanks to the Chrono24 escrow service, my money was refunded after a few days. The dealer was very helpful but didn't believe me at first. A few later they got the same news from Omega Japan and they immediately removed the ad from Chrono24 and eBay. This could have ended much worse on so many levels.

Pure ignorance by the dealer?

I also tried some other Japanese dealers, but these Speedmasters also turned out to have the wrong reference number as well! There was even one with a serial number from 2009, on which the dealer insisted it was genuine! These advertisements were also taken offline and the ‘buy the seller’ concept ended up in the bin!


Another one bites the dust. "No longer available"

This started feeling like a crusade. In the end, four ads were removed after I had confronted the dealers with their “fakes”! And each time they were unaware of any wrongdoing! Probably just lazy or ignorant if you ask me.

Also removed from Chrono24!

I realised that I was on very thin ice and this could also have been a very expensive mistake. I still remained determined to find one, because the battle was not yet over! The dealers who did have an authentic Mitsukoshi Speedmaster were asking a hefty premium for that highly coveted Mitsukoshi warranty card. I could no longer justify this to myself, because even the cards of genuine Mitsukoshi Speedmasters could be fake in order to achieve that high premium. The countless variations of the Mitsukoshi stamp did not help either. How can you tell if it’s a real Mitsushi Speedmaster card? You can’t!

A compilation of Mitsukoshi warranty cards

At this stage I was thinking about just throwing in the towel. After my “crusade”, there were only two original -and very expensive- Mitsukoshi Speedmasters left on Chrono24 (one of which was sold very recently to a collector in Switzerland). One dealer from the US is not willing to co-operate, so I’m not including that one.

There was a possible third one: a very competitively priced set without a Mitsukoshi warranty card, sold in Germany. I found this ad to be very suspicious and the dealer (of course) claimed it was a genuine 3570.31 but did not want to disclose the serial number either. I decided to ignore this great deal, because if it's too good to be true... The price on Chrono24 was even reduced after a few days.

After the Japanese fiasco, I contacted this German dealer one more time and I explained the messed up situation politely. Not much later, out of the blue, I received a copy of a 2024 Omega service invoice. This document has the entire serial number and reference number 3570.31 on it. I didn't trust it yet, because the Omega Service Centre in Japan also had missed that it wasn't a real 3570.31. Cautiously, I asked my watchmaker if he would like to check the serial number one more time...


“Hi Andre, I’ve got another one. Can you please check this one as well?”
- It matches with the Mitsukoshi dial.
“Thank you very much!”

This was excellent news! Robert-Jan Broer again checked with Omega and also confirmed that this is indeed an original Mitsukoshi Speedmaster. It was registered on the 16th of October 2003, which matches the correct production period!


- It’s been confirmed that this one is original.
“Okay, it’s great you double checked! Thanks again!”
- 16th of October 2003

Now I just needed to be sure that this serial number actually belongs to this particular Speedmaster. So I ordered this ‘Mit sie Koscher’ (say it with a German accent) on Chrono24. Hopefully it indeed was ‘kosher’! It arrived -of course- on a Speedy Tuesday. I must admit I still didn't fully trust it. Everything had to be right, including the movement number. It arrived very neatly packaged and everything was included.


Fortunately, the serial number on the lug indeed matched the service invoice and after opening the caseback, everything checked out as well! Jackpot! This crazy adventure came to a happy end. Who needs a (potential fake) warranty card, if it's been authenticated by Omega!


I already knew that upgrading to the real Mitsukoshi would be the right move. With the thought of owning a real one, I already enjoyed wearing the Modsukoshi much more during my summer break. Of course visually not much changes. This is why many mod owners don't understand a purchase like this. But to me it feels right and that was my intended goal! As long as I know and my daughter when she inherits it one day!

Left the Mitsukoshi 3570.31, on the right the Speedy Tuesday 1

Good to know:
I’ve compiled a list of all authentic Mitsukoshi Speedmasters that I found (around ten and I had every serial validated by my watchmaker) and the valid serial range at the moment is between 77073xxx en 77109xxx. This is somewhat wider than is mentioned in Moonwatch Only and here om Omega forums. The actual range might even be slightly wider and I will keep this list updated. If anyone has valid serial numbers to share, please let me know! I’m happy to help out others if they are looking for a Mitsukoshi Speedmaster, but I’m not going to share the list publicly. I want to help out the fraudsters.

The Mitukoshi on the original ad from 2004, when they were already sold out

I also noticed some differences between the original dial and the service dial. Swiss Made is slightly larger on the original dial and also slightly further away from the edge. There is also a clear difference between both edges of the dial. I don't have an answer as to how or why this is (watchmakers also don't know). Both the Modsukoshi and the original Mitsukoshi have hesalite crystals and those (and the tension rings) have never changed in appearance. Due to this deviation in dials, the indices/lines appear to be placed more towards the center on the original dial. The silvery-white also appears to be slightly more cream-white on the original dial. Anyway, both versions are beautiful.

Different finishing of the dial edge?

It's difficult to see, but on the left, Swiss Made is not so close to the edge and the text height is slightly bigger. It’s actually easier to notice with the naked eye.

So be careful when you think about buying a watch whose parts are/were available in the open market. This also includes for example the Rolex stone dials. If it’s a mod and it’s not mentioned by the seller, you will be paying an unjustified high premium. If the serial number does not match in the “archives” or it’s not a known serial number range, you could be buying a very expensive pig in a poke!

Thanks for reading, below are some more photos and “Yoi tsuitachi”!

For future reference, based on my own research (4/9/2025):

Mitsukoshi Speedmaster valid serial number range is between 77073xxx en 77109xxx.
This range can be wider, as this is only based on the nine real Mitsukoshi Speedmasters I've researched.

Thank you very much! I hope this will help out others. @mountainunder already found the same fake on Yahoo Japan, that was originally sold by Watchnian. I guess they returned it to the original owner (sale by consignment).

Not sure why the dial looks different. According to my watchmaker there's only one tension ring available. My Mitsukoshi was serviced by the Omega service center in Germany. And my mod was a NOS 3572.50 so also fully original. Perhaps @Archer knows? Every watchmaker I've spoken to mentions one looks like a sapphire crystal, which is not true.

Thanks for the great report!
This kind of information is a huge help in building the forum’s knowledge base.
It’s a must-read for anyone looking for the ref. 3570.31.:📖:

By the way, this is the item in question. Please be careful.
Here’s the Yahoo Auctions link
https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/m1198532251

Since Yahoo Japan cannot be accessed from EU countries or the UK, this link goes through Buyee so you can check it.
https://buyee.jp/item/jdirectitems/...versionType=jdirectitems_auction_DirectSearch

Thank you very much! And there were never different tension rings or hesalite crystals used between 1999 and 2003? My mod is from 1999 and the Mitsukoshi ofcourse 2003. What do you -as a professional watchmaker- make of the difference between both dial edges? See below.


Thanks! Glad you like the story!

WOW, big congrats Jordy, you finally found a legit one! 🔥 🥂🍾
Very impressive, all the passion and research! Thanks also for this very informative writeup, it will certainly help others who are looking to buy a Mistsukoshi and shed more light on those rare watches 👍

Thanks Tom! Appreciate it! Yes it's been a crazy hunt and luckily the endeavours paid off! Hopefully I can help out others with this information and especially create some awareness of what's going on at the moment (loads of scammers).

Thank you very much! And kudos to you for reading the complete story! 😀
I'm glad it's well recieved here. Lets see if we can gather more serials of authentic Mitsukoshi Speedmasters

Stupendous post, thank you for adding to the community scholarship.

Amazing watch, congratulations!

Great post. And I think many points are equally applicable to other LEs from around this time period, including the one near and dear to my heart: the 3570.40 Japan Racing Dial. My story for obtaining that reference is far less interesting or educational but with the same buyer beware anxiety to overcome. Ultimately it was service paperwork from Omega verifying SN to ref number that sealed the deal. But I still double checked by calling the Service center directly to verify the service actually happened and triple checked with respected OF members to confirm the SN.

Excellent knowledge share.

Fantastic thread. Really appreciate you putting together this write up and sharing with the forum.

Excellent post and love the attention to detail. The photos are also impressive. Congrats on the successful purchase! 👍