If you’ve so much as dipped a toe into the online watch world over the past 24-hours you will have seen the announcement that a new Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch is on the way. Well, now it’s here and the first question I have to ask is, was the build-up and hype worth it? That would be a resounding no. The new Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch Mission to Moonshine Gold is dramatically less exciting than every single render or mock-up you may have seen on the internet.
Ultimately, the new watch is just the Mission to the Moon edition of the original MoonSwatch with a gold plated seconds hand. That’s it. All the other specs are exactly the same as the original, meaning it has 42mm diameter case in BioCeramic with 30m water resistance and it houses the same quartz chronograph movement.
Well, to be fair, there is more to the new seconds hand than just gold plating. For one, the plating is made from Omega’s proprietary alloy Moonshine Gold, which they use on prestigious models like the Speedmaster Moonshine. On top of that, every single seconds hand was produced during a full moon. That’s not a joke, they were all produced in a 24-hour period coinciding with the full moon, giving them special qualities and a spiritual connection… supposedly.
A cynic might suggest that limiting production by a metric as trivial as the full moon is an excellent way to ensure exclusivity for a watch that is already notoriously difficult to procure. We all remember the initial rush that saw MoonSwatches sell for £1,000+ despite costing just over £200. This launch seems specially engineered to achieve exactly the same phenomenon. Although, the initial price is slightly higher with an increase of CHF 25 (approx. £22), which in the UK will make it roughly £250.
As with all MoonSwatches it’s available exclusively from select boutiques and is initially limited to London (at the Royal Exchange), Milan, Tokyo and Zurich. However, Swatch have teased that due to the full moon production schedule, new batches will be available monthly, with a revolving roster of cities and boutiques to buy it from.
Price & Specs:
- Model: Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch Mission To Moonshine Gold
- Case/dial: 42mm diameter x 13.25mm height, BioCeramic case, black dial with seconds hand made of Omega’s Moonshine™ Gold
- Water resistance: 30m (3 bar)
- Movement: Quartz chronograph movement
- Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph
- Strap: Velcro
- Price/availability: CHF 275 (approx. £250)
More details at Swatch.
