Swatch Moonswatch

Swatch set the watch world abuzz at the end of March 2022. In the run up to this, the Swiss watch giant had partnered with its subsidiary Omega for a re-interpretation of one of history's most famous timepieces: the legendary Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch, i.e., the first watch on the Moon.

The aptly-named MoonSwatch has the exact dimensions and design of the original Omega, including "lyre" or twisted lugs, and a wider right case flank that serves to protect the crown and pushers. You'll also find a tachymeter bezel with the "Dot over 90", as well as slightly stepped subdials that the MoonSwatch adopted from the famous Moonwatch. Some MoonSwatch design elements are taken from particularly sought-after Speedmaster models such as the "Ultraman" or "Alaska Project". Along with the Swatch and MoonSwatch logos, the dial also contains the Omega logo and the famous Speedmaster lettering.

That's where the similarities stop. As opposed to the Omega timepiece, the MoonSwatch's case is made of Swatch's proprietary BIOCERAMIC. This ceramic blend is made of two-thirds ceramic, and one-third synthetic material derived from castor oil. This achieves a very lightweight case that can be made in various colors, which Swatch has taken full advantage of for these timepieces. There are a total of eleven color varieties named after planetary bodies in our Solar System: the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, the Moon (of course), Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. A Velcro strap keeps the MoonSwatch securely on the wrist.

Another key difference from the original Moonwatch is the movement. Swatch uses a quartz chronograph caliber for the MoonSwatch, which is also used in its other chronographs. This is most likely the ETA G10.212 or a variation of it. As a result, the MoonSwatch's subdials are at 2, 6, and 10 o'clock.

The official list price for a MoonSwatch is 260 USD. Upon release, Swatch offered these watches exclusively in select Swatch stores. The first batches were released in very limited numbers, and the watches sold out almost immediately. Swatch has repeatedly stressed that MoonSwatches are not limited editions, and will be readily available for purchase once sufficient quantities of these timepieces are manufactured. Of course, this will take some time to do.

However, if you cannot wait to have a MoonSwatch on your wrist, you can find them on the secondary market – at a considerable premium. At the time of writing, MoonSwatches were selling on Chrono24 for an average of between 975 and 1,400 USD.

You'll find other offers for MoonSwatches on the internet at prices over 7,000 USD or more. These are truly meteoric, so don't fall for them! For this price, you can easily purchase an actual Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch.

All of the eleven MoonSwatch models pay tribute to one of the planetary bodies in our Solar System, as seen with their case and dial colors. The models that will catch your eye the most are probably the Mission to the Sun and Mission to Neptune. The former shines in a bright, lemon yellow, while the Neptune model stands out with its rich blue hues.

Like pastel tones? Then be sure to have a look at the Mission to Uranus or Mission to Venus, in light blue and powder pink, respectively. The Venus model also features oval-shaped subdials that have tiny ornamentation within their outer rings, giving this model an extra-playful feel compared to the others in the collection.

The Mission on Earth MoonSwatch features the widest palette of colors in this collection: the case is an earthy green, the bezel and dial are navy blue, and the subdials are white. The chronograph hands round off the watch nicely, and are a brownish red.

Swatch chose a light beige for the case and dial of the Mission to Saturn MoonSwatch. The bezel and subdials are brown. The small seconds dial at 6 o'clock, however, depicts Saturn, complete with its characteristic rings.

With the Mission to Mars and Mission to Jupiter, Swatch draws on design elements from the sought-after "Alaska Project" and "Ultraman" Moonwatch models. The Mission to Mars case is a fiery red, just like the thermal shield on the "Alaska I" from 1969. Swatch designers also borrowed from the Alaska I for the dial on the Mission to Mars, which is white with brash red chronograph hands. These even have the same shape as those found on the Alaska I, which were reminiscent of the Gemini spacecraft that carried American astronauts into space.

The beige Mission to Jupiter is something for every fan of the Speedmaster "Ultraman." Its most outstanding features are the orange chronograph hands that were also found on the original Ultraman from the late 1960s, as well as the 2018 Speedy Tuesday Ultraman special edition.

Looking for a MoonSwatch that's in keeping with the original Omega? Look no further than the Mission to the Moon. This model's colors, lettering and numbers, and overall look are nearly identical to the Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch. An alternative here is also the Mission to Mercury, whose gray tones give it a unique look that is nevertheless faithful to the classic Speedy.

The last model in this collection is the Mission to Pluto, which stands out with its light gray case and cream dial. The subdials and bezel are burgundy, making this watch slightly reminiscent of the Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary.