Whoever you are, whatever peaks your interest, one thing is guaranteed – you will have noticed the craziness that ensued last year around the Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch. It was seismic. In hindsight, such a collaboration seemed so obvious, so simple – yet in reality it took everyone by total surprise.
A year on, the watches are still not available online. You still have to go to a Swatch store around the world to get one on your wrists. A genius move, as not only has it conjured up visions in our heads of famous watch heads like Ed Sheeran and Daniel Craig queuing up to get hold of one, it has also meant that the hype and thirst to own one is still very much alive.
Here’s everything you need to know about the new MoonSwatch collection, including the latest way to get hold of one
Reports earlier in the year suggested that a literal million MoonSwatch pieces – from your Missions to Neptune to Mars, the Moon and Uranus – have already been sold. As successful collabs go, they struck literal gold. Which goes a long way to explaining why this week Omega and Swatch are at it again.
Over the weekend, Swatch dropped another tantalising MoonSwatch teaser, this time with a golden moon and the words “Mission to Moonshine Gold”. Naturally, the watch world has once again lost its proverbial mind. Theories and hypotheses are swirling, so without further ado, here’s everything you need to know about the latest MoonSwatch release.
Everything you need to know about the latest Moonshine MoonSwatch release
This time the Mission to the Moon has a seconds hand made of OMEGA’s Moonshine Gold, and it’s very much a continuation of what already exists. Of the 11 MoonSwatch models that have been in circulation for the past year, the Mission to the Moon is the truest to its inspiration, Omega’s iconic Speedmaster Moonwatch. Omega and Swatch both value history, heritage and classics, so it’s no surprise that collectively their next move was going to be true to their core values and DNA.
Moonshine Gold is a type of 18k yellow gold alloy created exclusively by Omega in 2019 for some of its most sought after watches, so it’s a classy move for the new MoonSwatch to have a nod to this. While the teaser caused many enthusiasts to predict a full Bioceramic Moonshine gold version was on the cards, Swatch and Omega have reserved ultimate grace and patience (after all, they have years to do a full gold piece) by dropping a new MoonSwatch that has a subtle but impactful flash of Moonshine gold, namely on its all important seconds hand.
Indeed, these MoonShine Gold-coated seconds hands were made exclusively during the full moon of February – exactly the type of kooky Easter egg vibes that will drive Omega Speedy fans wild – with an actual certificate with each watch to prove it.
How much is it and where is it available to buy
There will be questions aplenty around, first and foremost, where to get hold of this new MoonSwatch Moonshine Gold. But most importantly, we should confirm that this is not replacing any of the other MoonSwatches, it is adding to the options on offer.
Even James Bond had to wait to get his hand on an Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch
This watch costs £250, so slightly more expensive than the original. In terms of where you can get your mitts on one, from today for the time being they will be available in four separate locations around the world. So if you happen to be in London, Milan, Tokyo and Zurich right now, you are in luck – or at least you stand a chance – as each of these cities will have a special pop up for the foreseeable (but unconfirmed how long) future. Each city has been selected for its own special reason – for example Bank in London got the call up because the price of gold is fixed there on a global level; Paradeplatz in Zurich for its banks and gold reserves.
Before you start booking flights to those four cities though, Swatch and Omega have hinted that the new Moonshine MoonSwatch will be coming to other cities soon. “Probably, yes,” they say.
Is the Moonshine MoonSwatch limited edition?
Ever fans of cryptic messaging and keeping people guessing, Swatch and Omega have said that because the seconds hands were produced during the full moon, “it’s not limited, however the limitation comes from the production itself (only one day).” Which is to say that there is “not enough” to go around.
Many will have wondered what Swatch and Omega’s next power move would be in this space, after such wild scenes last March. So it’s safe to say, they have done it again.
