The New MoonSwatch Launch Includes a Subtle Dig at Omega’s Biggest Rival

It commemorates a very impactful competition won by the Speedmaster 60 years ago … and hints at who lost.

By Brad Lanphear

Published February 27, 2025

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Updated February 27, 2025

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The story of arguably the most impactful competition in horological history has now passed into legend.

In 1965, NASA put out the call for a watch that could withstand the rigors of space travel and meet its exacting timekeeping standards.

The field was narrowed down to three chronographs: an Omega Speedmaster reference ST105.003, a Wittnauer 235T and a Rolex reference 6238 proto-Daytona.

a gray swatch chronograph watch laying in gray sand — The MoonSwatch 1965 is very similar to the Mission to the Moon, but with a white dial.

NASA put the watches through 11 tests to measure performance under extremes in pressure, temperature, sound, humidity, vibration, corrosion and shock absorption, along with performance in a vacuum.

Only one watch passed all the tests and received a contract to be the official wristwatch of the American space agency.

As we are all acutely aware, it was the Speedmaster, and Omega has proudly flaunted the “First Watch on the Moon” badge ever since.

Dozens of Speedmaster variations have referred to it, and Omega’s parent company Swatch has seen the spinoff MoonSwatch become a viral sensation the likes of which no one could have imagined.

a gray watch and a black watch laying side by side — A MoonSwatch 1965 next to an Omega Speedmaster ref. ST105.003.

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the legendary competition, Swatch has now introduced the MoonSwatch 1965.

As part of the celebration, Swatch boutiques around the world are displaying a mysterious case with three watches and “1965” printed on the inner lid.

There is a MoonSwatch 1965, a bioceramic take on the now-Swatch-owned Wittnauer 235T and a cryptic Watch X chronograph.

The MoonSwatch 1965

The newest addition to the rapidly expanding MoonSwatch family is one of the subtlest designs yet, essentially swapping in a white dial on the existing Mission to the Moon reference. But a couple small easter eggs are hiding on the dial.

the case back of a swatch Moonswatch 1965 — The case back matches the one on the Mission to the Moon MoonSwatch.

First off, the chronograph and counters have been calibrated so that the sub-dial at ten o’clock reads 19 and the sub-dial at two o’clock reads 65.

This nod to the momentous year is clever and discrete but makes the watch a bit less functional as a chronograph — not that many owners plan on using it as one.

a white Omega chronograph dial — The chronograph sub-dials count to 19 and 65, and the Omega logo on the dial is in the style used during the 1960s.

The other easter egg is so small that only the most knowledgeable and astute Omega fans would spot it without a side-by-side comparison to another MoonSwatch.

The Omega logo on the dial and crown, including the Greek letter and typeface, match the 1960s stylization rather than the modern version that appears on every other MoonSwatch.

The mysterious box

That said, the most intriguing part about the new MoonSwatch 1965 launch is a bit of performative marketing that has nothing to do with the watch itself.

Australian watch publication Time & Tide pointed out the clever display and what it could mean.

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Swatch boutiques around the world are displaying a white canvas briefcase that matches the case for the MoonSwatch 1965.

With the top open inside a glass display case, it contains a MoonSwatch 1965, a bioceramic version of a Wittnauer 235T and a simple gray and a white chronograph with an X at 12 o’clock.

The inner lid of the case simply reads “1965,” leaving spectators plenty of room for interpretation. Are we to infer that these three watches represent those from the legendary NASA trials? Are we then to infer that the “X” represents a crown?

a white swatch moonswatch watch case — Marking a momentous occasion, the MoonSwatch 1965 comes in a special commemorative box.

Swatch Group owns Omega and Longines, which was the parent company of now defunct-Wittnauer. So the opportunity to troll a certain archrival was right there for the taking.

Of course, this is pure speculation. All we can say for sure is that there is a new MoonSwatch with a subtly fun dial and it will probably be a challenge to acquire.