Thursday, March 24, 2022 the day the watch world was struck by surprise and thrown off its feet. Nobody saw such a thing coming, especially not I. I didnt pay much attention to the posts on social media when I saw them. I swiped past some advertisements of colorful watches that didnt quite strike my interestuntil I swiped back up to take a second look and notice what they were. Various images from print to online advertised that Omega was set to release a new line of Speedmasters in just two days, but it wasnt quite Omegait was Swatch.
Who would have thought that two days was enough to advertise a new line of watches that would captivate the entire world? It sounds like a huge gamble, but Swatch played their cards right. Brightly colored plastic Speedies, quartz movements, two days notice, in-store purchases at select stores only, unlimited stock, Omega for $260? Nothing made sense about it, but thats the greatness of it. It brought a big spark of change to the watch market. It brought enthusiasts out to the stores and in connection with other enthusiasts. What was once unattainable for many watch enthusiasts became easily available to purchase; at least that was the idea.
Due to the affordability of a plastic Speedy with Omegas brand and Speedmaster logo stamped on the dial and strap, everyone had to get their hands on one. Its not every day that the average person can afford a Speedy. And yes, it is a Speedmaster. Sorry Omega gatekeepers, but the dial doesnt lie. Omega had a say in this, and it has not hurt the brand by any means. (Omega boutiques have had more traction since the release, selling more Speedmasters, and the MoonSwatch nearly dominated Watches and Wonders without Omega or Swatch even being there.) This was the perfect opportunity for the average Joe to get a taste of the original Moonwatch, with its rich history of the moon landing and unique design, and see how it wears on the wrist, but without paying thousands of dollars. Needless to say, people were over the moon about it, and for good reason. From America to Europe, to Asia and the land down under, the world was off its axis and on an astronomical hype wave for this watch (bear with me. I intend to use as many space puns as I can in this one.) Only select Swatch stores had some pieces in stock, which were listed on Swatchs website. So thousands, and yes, thousands, queued up outside stores and camped overnight to get a piece of history. It also did not help that HypeBeast put the word out before the release, bringing all the cool kids away from their Apple watches and Air Jordans to get a glimpse of the watch industry. That alone brought a large amount of traffic alongside people who normally do not wear or even own watches.
Along with thousands in a queue outside of a Swatch store was me. I know, I joined in on the madness, but I couldnt help myself. As soon as I found out about the release, I planned a spur-of-the-moment road trip to the nearest Swatch store that had the collection in stock, which happened to be in Dallas, TX (about five-to-six hours away from me). As soon as I arrived in Dallas around midnight, I wanted to stop by the mall where the store was located before I went to my hotel. The thought was to scope the area out and see where I will queue up in the morning after a good nights rest after a decent drive. That thought went out into orbit when I saw that there was already a line of about 25 people in lawn chairs outside of the mall. So I parked the car, got out and walked up to the security guard who was guarding the entrance, and asked, MoonSwatch? Yup, he replied. So I knew what I had to do. Despite my hotel reservation for that night, the plastic Speedmaster was far more important, so I happily got in line. As that cold morning grew older, we watch nerds conversed until the store opened, watching the line grow further and further behind us. Meanwhile, several people from further back in the queue walked up to us and offered $50, $200 and even $500 just to stand in our spot in the line. Looking back, I should have taken that deal, especially had I known that none of us were to get our hands on a watch. Thats right. Although we were in the first 30 spots of the 2,0004,000-person queue, we still didnt get a MoonSwatch. Somehow, a rebellious and daring group of people broke into another side of the mall just before the store opened, and even more stupidly, the Swatch store sold them their entire inventory of the MoonSwatches, which was only about 40 pieces. Havoc broke loose when the store manager came out to tell the huddle around the door. People were raging, quite literally. If it werent for the numerous police guarding that side of the building, who knows what would have happened.
So I left empty-handed, still in search of a MoonSwatch. I traveled back to Dallas another time since then, but only to find out that the store had just gotten the Mission to the Sun and Mission to Venus models. But who really wants those ones? No thanks. I checked online nearly every day in watch forums to see if anyone was selling them. Sure enough, people were, but for more than double the price. Now, Im desperate enough to drive several hours and camp overnight in cold weather for a plastic watch, but I refuse to pay anything over retail for one.
Some weeks later I moved across the planet to Europe, where the watch scene is much more popular. There are watch stores on every corner, so it seems. Apple watches are nearly unheard of and almost everyone wears analog. Despite everyone wearing the likes of Rolex, Breitling and true Omegas, they all still know of the MoonSwatch. I found this out as I traveled to Frankfurt, Munich and Strasbourg, France, only to find the stores sold out of the darn things, with others walking in to ask for them as well. So I came to a resolution within myself, being that I would give up the hunt, and if I happen to stumble upon one of the precious treasures in the future, then I would take the opportunity to own it. And that is just what happened.
I decided to take another trip back to Strasbourg one day, just for mere leisurely travel nothing more. As I walked the streets, I walked past the Swatch store. I side-eyed it with a bit of resentment and hopelessness, but thought to myself, Well, why not at least ask if they have some? It cant hurt to check. Sure enough, they had one, and only one in the store. I happily made my purchase for the Mission to Mars model, walked out and felt accomplished after my mission to the MoonSwatch was a success. I suppose the story is very fitting; having to explore the planet to attain a watch representing planetary exploration. One practically has to venture to another planet to attain one of these things. Finally, my mission had come to an end.
Now this is where it gets strange. I felt a sense of angst as I walked out of the store, for I knew what I had with me. I knew all it entailed, and the popularity and the demand for it. A man from Asia even came to me after I walked out of the store and asked if the store had any. He said he had searched all over for one. The demand was high, so I felt as if I was walking with precious metals. I even put the box in my tote bag, because I couldnt let anyone see the Omega X Swatch box. I almost felt a sense of nervousness or fear carrying it, as if I were wearing a Rolex in Los Angeles. Fortunately, the average person doesnt carry a gun in France as some do in L.A., so rest assured, I made it home safely with my new $260 plastic watch.
Wearing it on the wrist the first few times felt a bit odd too. I almost felt as though I should baby it, due to its highly scratch-prone plastic crystal and low level of 3 ATM water resistance, but when traveling through space, diving isnt to be expected, so I suppose a heavy amount of water resistance isnt in call for this one, although it is quite frustrating. Nonetheless, I have heard stories of the chronograph pushers falling off and the planet prints on the back of the dial rubbing off onto peoples skin. I havent come across those scenarios so far, fingers crossed.
The Velcro strap is also a bit strange. It is stiff and awkward to fasten. Furthermore, I have heard and seen accounts of peoples MoonSwatch straps losing the print after some wear, which is why I ordered a rubber strap off Amazon to replace it. I dont want to lose those nice Omega and Speedmaster logos. Due to the resale value on these pieces and the history they are making, I want to preserve every bit of it that I can, while also having the enjoyment of wearing it.
The RundownAs far as wearing it goes, it is very light and wears comfortably on the wrist, even for a 42mm case diameter on my 6.25 inch wrist (I hardly go for anything over 38mm).
It almost feels like a toy at times, which is mainly due to its brightly colorful bio-ceramic (otherwise known as plastic) case. But I believe that this makes it a fun weekend watch or a watch to support my home football club, which sports white and red kits. Despite the colorful options, the case itself along with the dial stays in line with the Speedmaster DNA. The lugs, 20mm apart, curve exactly as they do on the original Moonwatch, giving real Moonwatch essence to the MoonSwatch.
Although it is no Omega caliber 321, the movement within is the run of the mill chronograph complication (an ETA V8), displaying a seconds subdial on the bottom, a jumping minutes subdial on the top left, but with the top-right subdial displaying a tenth of a second timer. However, there is one oddity to be found with the movement th
