Omega x Swatch

You read that right, $260. Plus this playful take on the iconic Speedmaster comes in multiple colors and is made from the group's Bioceramic material.

Of course, at $260 (including tax), these MoonSwatches do not house Omega's automatic movement, but instead feature a quartz engine powered by a battery, just like regular Swatches. The dials, however, all carry “Omega X Swatch” branding and the Speedmaster logo, alongside the new MoonSwatch moniker. With its wider Bioceramic collection, Swatch has been giving its watches a taste of these benefits even though they remain, in essence, plastic. Although Omega says the collection is not limited in quantity, the pieces will likely leave store shelves as quickly as they arrive.

The toughest thing, for most watch fans, will be picking a favorite. Or two. That's how many you can buy at any one store. But there are 11 total watches in ...

There's Mission to the Moon, and its correspondingly faithful rendition of the Moonwatch. Then there's Mission to Saturn, where you'll find rings around the 12-hour counter at 6 o'clock. Or Mission to Mars, which features a bold red-and-white color combo and is based on a prototype Omega created for NASA in 1972. Each colorway of the MoonSwatch (I'm just going to keep saying it; it's fun) is based on a different body in our solar system, and each is given a "Mission" name. There are also small deviations like the placement of the sub-dials and logos, and an "S" etched into the dial instead of an Omega logo. Because even though you can get that instantly recognizable shape, three sub-dials, and even the fan-favorite dot over 90 in Tachymeter bezel, this isn't a substitute for something. Even if the MoonSwatch, as it is (delightfully) named, offers up a pretty-damn-faithful recreation of the shape and detailing of the OG Moonwatch, the idea that it'll devalue the original in some substantive way seems far-fetched. It's an iconic design, the one worn by astronauts on Apollo missions, and a much-beloved piece for watch collectors in general and Omega collectors specifically.

Is it a cheap Speedmaster? A fancy Swatch? Or a brilliant mix of the two?

This is not the first time that Swatch has riffed off Omega. In the past Swatch has taken advantage of Omega’s position as the official timepiece of 007 to release a boxed set of Bond-villain-inspired watches. Importantly, it brings the Speedmaster into the market for design-led, entry-level quartz timepieces that have been issued by boutique (Furlan Marri) and big (Cartier) brands alike, but in a way that only Swatch Group could do. The MoonSwatch rehearses the familiar tropes in a way that speaks to the philatelically minded collector: viz the “dot over 90” tachymeter bezel, the 42mm case diameter, and the recessed subdials.