The New MoonSwatch Has a Feature I’ve Never Seen on Any Watch Before

Who would’ve thought the MoonSwatch would invent new horological complications?

By Johnny Brayson

Published October 30, 2024

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Updated November 1, 2024

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When I think of the Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch, I think of innovation.

The unexpected collab between the definitive ultra-affordable watch brand and one of the world’s most popular luxury brands took the world completely by surprise, creating a unique fervor and launching an entirely new market that stretched far beyond traditional watch enthusiasts.

Now, with its latest model, the MoonSwatch is innovating again. But this time, it’s not a marketing innovation. Quite unexpectedly, the latest MoonSwatch has innovated in the field of watchmaking by inventing a brand-new complication.

two swatch moonswatch watches viewed front to back — Swatch’s latest MoonSwatch is its most horologically impressive yet.

The Blue Marble

The latest MoonSwatch is the Omega x Swatch Bioceramic MoonSwatch Mission to Earthphase. You may recall that Swatch already makes a few “Mission to the Moonphase” MoonSwatches that feature a classic moonphase complication (and Snoopy). So what is an earthphase?

Simply put, the earthphase complication is the exact opposite of a moonphase. While a moonphase display depicts the phases of the moon as viewed from Earth, the earthphase shows the phases of the Earth as viewed from the surface of the moon.

a closeup of the earthphase on a swatch moonswatch watch dial — The Mission to Earthphase is the world’s first watch with an earthphase indicator.

The complication works simply enough — it’s literally a reverse moonphase complication. The Earth’s phases seen from the moon run on a 29.5-day schedule, just like the moon’s phases, but in opposite order. So when there’s a full moon, there’s a “new Earth,” and vice versa.

To my knowledge, no watch has ever featured an earthphase complication before, and Swatch is also claiming it’s the first time such a feature has appeared on a watch. The brand has also patented the complication, so I don’t expect to see an earthphase complication pop up on any other watches anytime soon.

The complication itself appears in a display at 10 o’clock on the dial, with a view of the Earth inspired by photos taken by NASA astronauts on the moon. The vivid depiction of Earth is in full color, and the oceans are coated in UV ink so they glow blue under a UV light. The watch also features a traditional lumed moonphase indicator at 2 o’clock, appearing as it does on the Mission to Moonphase MoonSwatches.

a closeup of a glowing earthphase display on a swatch moonswatch watch — The full-color image of Earth in the earthphase display features UV ink on the oceans that glows blue under a black light.

Pricing and Availability

It’s not every day that a ~$300 watch debuts a brand-new horological complication, but hey, that’s part of the fun of the MoonSwatch: You never know what they’re going to come up with next.

Style-wise, the Mission to Earthpase plays it pretty safe. It has a gray Bioceramic case and gray dial, with the strap, tachymeter bezel, and all other dial features appearing in black. The monochrome look is interrupted by the bright earthphase display, which is the only color you’ll find on the watch.

Although it’s not a limited edition, the MoonSwatch Mission to Earthphase will nonetheless be difficult to get your hands on. Swatch recently made some MoonSwatches available to purchase online, but unsurprisingly, this isn’t one of them. It will only be available at select Swatch stores around the world beginning on November 2 and is priced at $325, making it the most expensive MoonSwatch yet.