Get ready, horologists. Another OMEGA x Swatch MoonSwatch launch could cause chaos across the globe again, with the Swiss watchmaker teasing the Mission to Moonshine Gold edition timepiece on its socials. Hoping to reach the estimated $342 million in profit they received from the MoonSwatch collection in 2022 (contributing to just under 1 per cent of the Swiss watch industry for that same year), Swatch Group (owners of OMEGA and Swatch) are keeping details close to the chest, perhaps in an attempt to ramp up demand on their Mission to Moonshine Gold.
Update 07/03/2023: Swatch Group has officially revealed the OMEGA x Swatch ‘Mission To Moonshine Gold’.
RELATED: Swatch x Omega Moonswatch: Release, Price, Styles
Image: Swatch
Unfortunately for Swatch lovers down under, the OMEGA x Swatch Mission to Moonshine Gold teaser indicates a limited worldwide release through select Swatch locations. Paradeplatz, Zurich, Switzerland; Tokyo Stock Exchange, Tokyo, Japan; Piazza Affari, Milan, Italy; and The Royal Exchange, London, UK, will all be receiving the latest Moonswatch model on 7 March (6:30 PM JST in Japan, 7 PM CET in Switzerland and Italy, and 6 PM GMT in the UK), which is about 5 am Sydney time on 8 March.
Unless you plan to be in Zurich, Tokyo, Milan or London, you’ll have to sit on the sidelines while someone else departs on their Mission to Moonshine Gold. But if the trademark Moonshine is anything to go by, the possible inclusion of the Moonshine 18k yellow gold alloy created by OMEGA in 2019 for its stellar OMEGA Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited Edition makes this a very exciting release.
According to OMEGA, 18K Moonshine Gold is “inspired by the shining moonlight in a dark blue sky” and “offers a distinctively paler hue than traditional 18K yellow gold and high resistance to the fading of colour and lustre over time. Its unique composition includes silver, copper and palladium for colour and stability.”
Swatch x OMEGA Bioceramic MoonSwatch ‘Mission to Mercury’ | Image: Swatch
Whether Swatch plans to leverage this incredible material for its Mission to Moonshine Gold is still unclear, especially since the company is dealing with “overwhelming demand” resulting in insufficient stock of the Bioceramic MoonSwatch Collection. Bioceramic mixes bio-sourced material and ceramic to create a resilient and resistant silk-like touch material.
Besides the date, 7 March, and a list of select Swatch locations worldwide, the announcement has every watch fan wondering what this 12th addition will bring to the solar system. And considering how much we loved ranking the entire Moonswatch suite, we’re genuinely excited for another space-mission-inspired timepiece. That is, if it ever enters Australia’s airspace.
