By this point, we really should know the drill and, like the fully functioning adults we claim to be, cope just fine when a new MoonSwatch falls out of the horological sky.
But nope, the powers that be at Swatch and Omega have a unique ability to catch us unawares . Just as we thought we’d ranked the 22 MoonSwatches accordingly, we are found having to re-write the form book – because another MoonSwatch Snoopy just dropped and this time it’s all black and sexier than ever.
When we chatted to Swatch’s CEO Alain Villard on the eve of the first MoonSwatch Snoopy launching, we asked how many different Snoopys there will be. His response was a wry smile followed by “possibly more than one”. Two months passed between the first MoonSwatch Snoopy teaser and the actual watch (official name MoonSwatch Mission to the Moonphase) being released, then bam – we get another flavour and dose of the kool aid (bioceramic, 42mm, velcro strap all as per usual) a mere 10 days later.
Why the rush? The party line is that the new black version arrives in time for the incoming new moon (it’s called the New Moon whereas the white Snoopy is the Full Moon) as it’ll be available from Swatch stores only from 8 April. But that also happens to be the day before the biggest day in the watch world’s calendar – with the likes of Rolex, Patek Philippe and Cartier set to unveil their new releases for the year at Watches and Wonders.
“They have watches and we have the wonders,” I remember Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek joking when he unveiled the OG MoonSwatches. Two years on, Swatch and Omega are still having the same little joke among themselves as they continue to disrupt the status quo. The joke wouldn’t stick though if the watches, both from a design and supply perspective, didn’t match the demand. But they do as there’s an obvious thirst for these Snoopy versions and they are not limited editions.
Where the white Snoopy felt fresh and cute with Snoopy chilling out on the moon with his best mate Woodstock catching some ZZZZs together, there’s a vibe shift with this new all-black one. While Snoopy and Woodstock are doing exactly the same thing on the moon on the watches moonphase, they are surrounded by moodier tones. The key is the lugs, the crown and the pushers on the watch are all black, instead of grey as they are on the standard Mission to the Moon MoonSwatches.
We’re not talking full Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight moody, but it’s not far off – and the hidden easter egg detail in UV ink on the moonphase kind of says as much. Lume up the watch in the dark and one of Snoopy’s famous one liners appears amid the moon and stars: “I can’t sleep without a night light!” We hear you, Snoopy.
