« The Rush for the Moonwatch Homage »
Saturday, March 26, 2022, is a day that will go down in watchmaking history: tens of thousands of people line up outside 110 Swatch stores around the globe to get their hands on one of the brand-new Omega Swatch models. But what wristwatch could be so important that police have to show up in many places to keep order? We take a close look at the new MoonSwatch, explain its unprecedented hype, and look forward to a colorful journey through the depths of the solar system.
Why Is the Hype So Huge?
To understand the enormous rush, you need to know the monumental significance of the original Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch in the watch world. The luxury chronograph, whose latest generation was released in 2021, cannot be had new for less than €6,000, and to enthusiasts it is far more a legend than a functional timekeeper. The myth begins in the 1960s, when NASA declares the Speedmaster its official space watch, and in 1969 it lands on the Moon as part of the Apollo 11 mission. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin both wear a Moonwatch on their wrists on humanity's farthest journey to date as their feet kick up the gray lunar dust. Ever since, the Omega model has been an icon that, with famous models such as the Dark Side of the Moon or Grey Side of the Moon, ranks among the great dreams of many watch owners.
Not even seasoned industry experts could have imagined that the luxury brand Omega and Swatch, the cheerful, colorful maker of affordable everyday watches, would now join forces to put the famous design of the expensive moon watch on everyone's wrist at a starting price of €250. Within two days of the announcement, the surprise turns into enthusiastic hype and sends thousands of eager buyers storming into Swatch stores.
11 Celestial Bodies, 11 Watches: An Astronomical Collection
What makes the MoonSwatch exceptional is its passionate commitment to astronomy. The Omega Swatch comes in eleven variants, each dedicated in color and design to a celestial body in our solar system. Alongside the eight planets, you can choose the Sun, Earth's Moon, and the dwarf planet Pluto. Every model's name combines "Mission to" with the English name of the respective celestial body, for example "Mission to the Sun" or "Mission to the Earth". On the caseback of each Omega Swatch, we're greeted by a realistic image of the planet in question along with a collection of motivating words such as "Dream Big", "Fly Higher", and "Reach for the Planets". To us, these phrases sound like a nod to the far more upmarket Speedmaster, which many MoonSwatch owners dream of (or are meant to).
In our view, the character of each celestial body has been captured extremely well. While the "Mission to the Sun" shines in bright yellow, the "Mission to the Mars" stands out in vivid red. Things can get playful, too, as the gray-brown "Mission to Saturn" demonstrates with the rings of the giant gas planet on its dial.
Bioceramic: A New Material for Colorful Cases
Overall, the editions split into a playful camp and an understated one. The unconventional side definitely includes the light green variant honoring our home planet, as well as the pink case of feminine Venus and the turquoise "Mission to Uranus". A fitting coincidence, since Venus and Uranus are the only planets that rotate clockwise. The more understated faction includes the dark gray MoonSwatch "Mission to Mercury", the sand-colored Omega Swatch inspired by the gas giant Jupiter, and the dark red and white "Mission to Pluto", which offers the celestial body, demoted to dwarf planet in 2006, some stylish consolation for its downgrade. Our personal favorite is the bright blue "Mission to Neptune", which the Roman god of the sea would surely approve of.
The colorful world of the Swatch Moonwatch is made possible by the new material "Bioceramic", which the Swiss group produces from two-thirds conventional ceramic and one-third plastic. It's called "bio" because the plastic is derived from castor oil and is therefore plant-based. The high ceramic content gives the MoonSwatch two advantages that Omega's ceramic models Dark Side of the Moon and Grey Side of the Moon also benefit from: light weight and high scratch resistance.
Comparison: Similarities and Differences to the Real Moonwatch
The MoonSwatch's water resistance of 30 meters isn't impressive, but at 50 meters the original Speedmaster isn't significantly higher. In general, we're surprised by how much these completely differently priced watches have in common: the dimensions of 42 millimeters in diameter and approx. 13 millimeters in height are identical, Omega's logo at twelve o'clock is surprisingly prominent on the Swatch version as well, and even the tachymeter scale with the legendary "Dot over 90" defines the newcomer. In addition, the Swatch Moonwatch is fitted with the strongly domed Hesalite crystal that has been one of the Speedmaster's key features for decades. Curved case flanks and a tri-compax dial layout round out the list of similarities.
The big differences lie in the technology. While Omega's moon watch has an elaborately engineered mechanical hand-wound movement, the caliber 3861, the MoonSwatch draws its power from a standard ETA quartz movement. The latter means the chronograph displays and small seconds differ noticeably from the historical original. The straps reveal differences as well: instead of the stainless steel bracelets, alligator leather straps, or nylon straps of the original, some of which cost more than an entire MoonSwatch, the Omega Swatch features smart fabric straps with hook-and-loop closures that are of fairly high quality for this price range.
Bad News for Omega? The Long-Term Consequences of the Collaboration
Never before has there been a co-branding between two watch brands that target such different audiences as Omega and Swatch. Although both manufacturers belong to the Swatch Group, experts are voicing initial concerns: while the Swatch brand and the group of the same name profit from the hype and media attention in the form of massive sales figures, the image of the original Moonwatch could suffer from the new collaboration. In the worst case, the notion of an "icon at a bargain price" could jeopardize the exclusive status of the Omega Speedmaster and widen its prestige gap to rival Rolex.
[box type="note" align="" class="" width=""]Other voices take an optimistic view, stressing that the MoonSwatch, as a "feel-good watch", plays in an entirely different segment than the Speedmaster and has by now even won over owners of the expensive luxury chronograph.[/box]In Stores Only? Availability of the New Omega Swatch
After the rush on the first day of sales, many patient buyers went home empty-handed because individual stores sold out far faster than demand could be met. Reassurance comes from official sources: the Swiss group emphasizes that all eleven models are available in unlimited quantities and that anyone interested can buy the Swatch Moonwatch. More good news concerns distribution: after the sales launch took place exclusively offline, the MoonSwatch is expected to be available to order online from April 8, 2022.
If you're looking for a great foretaste of your future Speedmaster, whether Dark Side of the Moon or Grey Side of the Moon, pick your favorite planet and get to know this astronomical feel-good watch in person.
