Fortis Marinemaster - Watch out for fakes!

Super compressors are cool. No doubt about it. Different shapes of cases were made and the largest at 42 mm wide are very wearable.

The Fortis Marinemaster are one the most common models found on eBay and has a colourful and unique layout. The watch measures:
Width: 42 mm
Length: 49,5 mm
Height: 12,5 mm


Some wristshots of the fake version:

The price is usually reasonable at 300-350 euro for a vintage super compressor. And the Fortis Marinemaster's has all the characteristics of a super compressor: criss-cross pattern on crowns, the helmet-logo on the back of the case and the helmet logo and production date on the inside of the back case. Almost all Fortis Marinemaster's for sale are in mint condition. But it is almost to good to be true.

A little googling and soon I realised that 19 out of 20 for sale are modern replicas (or fakes, as some would call them). A some point in time a large batch has been produced and they are now gradually released to the market.

Read this blog with an excellent discussion. UPDATE: Also see this thread on Watchuseek.

The fake Fortis Marinemaster's are fairly easy to identify once you are aware of what to look for. The production date is "4 - 70" :

It says "WATERPROOP" on the back case:

Often the wrong "P" in "WATERPROOP" has been etched out:

Or the word "WATERPROOP" has been polished away:

On the outer ring the fake versions have "DEPTH IN FEET." combined with square hour markers:

In 2002 actually Fortis themselves produced a 90-years limited edition of the Fortis Marinemaster Steel Date, but only 90 pieces were made. They should be easily recognizable by the limitation number (e.g. "12/90" engraved on the case back. Source.

Spec sheet for the Fortis Marinemaster 90-years limited edition of 90 pieces

A genuine 90-years limited edition of the Fortis Marinemaster from 2002. Note the number on the back.
Source

A genuine Fortis Marinemaster from the early 70s has a different colour scheme on the dial - less red, more orange and yellow:

Note that later versions with "DEPTH IN FEET." and round hour markers has the dive table only in red (or orange if the print has faded):

A genuine Fortis Marinemaster has no spelling errors on the back case: 

A genuine Fortis Marinemaster is not only produced in "4-70" but e.g. from "11-72": 

A genuine Fortis Marinemaster has "60 55 50 45" on the outer ring (combined with square or round hour markers):

Source

Some genuine models has "DEPTH IN FEET." combined with round hour markers. But none seems to have "DEPTH IN FEET." and square markers like the fake versions.

Source

Original documentation from Fortis.

Fortis 6237 source

Fortis 6337 source

To sum up. The genuine Fortis Marinemaster's are very rare and often sold for 1.000+ euros.

The Fortis Marinemaster replicas are available, reasonably affordable, in excellent condition and cool looking - but certainly not from the 70s. If only the sellers would call them "replicas" or "heritage".

Update May 2019

There seems to be more fake Fortis Marinemaster Super Compressors for sale at eBay and Chrono24 than ever. In alle fairness some are advertised as beeing ”reedition” or being from ”2010-Now”. But a large part are still pushed as being from the 1970s and all are labeled ”Fortis”. You are not buying a genuine Fortis, it is a copy with unknown origin.

Please note that the sellers has some new tricks up their sleeves.

On same fake watches a new text has been etched in the backcase. Note that waterproof are spelled in two words and it has the non-existing model number 3231:

To make the fake version look more authentic some has a dial with a new layout where yellow and orange also are used. It is looking more like the original but the colours are too clear and bright:

The month and year "4-70" on the inside of the back has been removed: