The MoonSwatch, love it or hate it, it seems that it’s here to stay for quite a while. Especially as Swatch have just released a new version, the Mission to Moonshine Gold. However, with how exclusive it is and how bonkers grey market prices for it are, it’s worth taking a look at some alternatives to the MoonSwatch that are out there. Here are 5 watches you should buy instead of an Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch Moonshine Gold.
Tissot Supersport Chrono, £430
Aesthetically, the Tissot Supersport Chrono and Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch Moonshine Gold bear some striking similarities. They both have tachymeter bezels, they both have tricompax chronograph displays clustered around the central hand stack and they even share a black and gold colourway. Although calling a single gold seconds hand on the MoonSwatch a colourway might be being generous. The noticeable difference in price between the two models stems from the fact that the Tissot has a stainless steel case with black PVD, a material used by watchmakers even at the highest level, while the MoonSwatch is plastic.
More details at Tissot.
Yema Rallygraf, £328
The Yema Rallygraf is one of the coolest watches that the French brand makes, standing out for its uniquely shaped subdials that give the whole piece the aesthetic of a high performance steering wheel. It commits to the fun design and is available in a wide variety of colours, just like the many fun colourways of the MoonSwatch. It also looks great with its vintage inspired pump pushers and matte finish tachymeter bezel. It’s also equipped with a mecha-quartz movement, which is slightly more prestigious than a full quartz piece.
More details at Yema.
Timex Midtown Chronograph, £145
Timex’s Midtown Chronograph feels like a more refined cousin to the MoonSwatch. That’s apparent in the fact that it lacks certain sporty elements such as the tachymeter bezel but it more than makes up for that with an elegant stainless steel case as opposed to plastic. Crucially, it has the same chronograph subdial layout as the MoonSwatch, offset toward 10, 2 and 6 o’clock, giving it a similar display. A more than suitable alternative to the MoonSwatch Moonshine Gold.
More details at Timex.
Citizen Super Titanium Chronograph, £299
One of the MoonSwatch’s biggest drawbacks is the Bioceramic case, which is a type of plastic. Of course, Bioceramic itself isn’t the problem, it’s actually one of the more sustainable types of plastic around due to Swatch’s production techniques. What matters is that it lacks some of the robust qualities expected of a sporty chronograph. The same can’t be said of the Citizen Super Titanium Chronograph, which is made from ultra-lightweight, corrosion resistant and scratch resistant titanium. With its blue and yellow dial, it’s also as colourful as some of the more interesting MoonSwatches of the past.
More details at Citizen.
Furlan Marri Nero Sabbia, CHF 555 (approx. £500)
The Furlan Marri Nero Sabbia is the least similar to the MoonSwatch in terms of design and style of all the watches presented here. However, I still maintain that it’s a great alternative because it has a similar black and gold colourway and it is still a chronograph despite the asymmetrical display. Plsu, despite being double the retail price of the Moonshine Gold, you can’t actually buy the MoonSwatch at retail meaning that we actually have to compare the Furlan Marri’s price to the new MoonSwatch’s grey market price. Doing so reveals that it’s actually the MoonSwatch that’s double the price of the Nero Sabbia.
More details at Furlan Marri.
Bulova Lunar Pilot’s Watch
Another wristwatch that has strong connections to the moon is the Bulova Lunar Pilot’s Watch, which is inspired by the Bulova chronograph that was worn by an astronaut on the moon in 1971. It has a really nice white and blue colourway with prominent chronograph pushers that are also in blue. This edition measures 43.5mm diameter and is made from stainless steel. It’s an incredibly handsome timepiece with retro styling.
More details at Bulova.
A Final Note: Seconde Seconde x Vulcain Cricket, CHF 4,100 (approx. £3,600)
One aspect of the new MoonSwatch Moonshine Gold that we haven’t considered so far is the fact that a watch that’s exactly the same but with a different hand might be exactly what you’re looking for. That’s probably a stretch but go with me on this. Seconde Seconde is a watch designer known for collaborating with brands and switching up the watch’s hands.
Take the Vulcain Cricket for example, where they literally replaced the seconds hand with a vulcan salute from Star Trek. At least it’s funny and ridiculous on purpose in contrast to the Moonshine Gold. Admittedly, due to the limited edition nature of Seconde Seconde’s work and the fact that the base model is an amazing watch already, it’s not really a comparable alternative to the MoonSwatch Moonshine Gold in terms of price, but a funny note to end on all the same.
More details at Revolution.
