This Is the Best MoonSwatch Ever. It’s Not Even Close

Since debuting the MoonSwatch to a global frenzy in 2022, Swatch has now released more than 30 different variations of its collaborative chronograph with Omega.

You’d think at this point people would be over the MoonSwatch — and, to be fair, plenty of people are. But despite the feeling in some corners that the MoonSwatch may have overstayed its welcome, Swatch keeps on coming up with new ways to impress when it comes to its flagship watch.

And if you ask me, the latest MoonSwatch announced over the weekend is the best one yet — and I don’t think it’s particularly close.

Swatch

The Perfect MoonSwatch?

Prior to Swatch announcing the new Mission to Earthphase Moonshine Gold, I had a trio of favorite MoonSwatches.

There was the Mission to the Super Blue Moonphase, which featured a blue-and-opaline-silver panda dial complete with a matching blue minute track in a highly attractive design reminiscent of the Omega Speedmaster CK2998 reissue from 2016.

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There was the Mission to Earthpase, a watch whose design didn’t particularly resonate with me, but whose complication — a subdial showing the phases of the Earth as seen from the moon — made the watch interesting since the (admittedly useless) feature exists nowhere else in horology.

Finally, we have the Mission to the Moonphase, specifically the white version, as it features Snoopy on the dial. My all-time favorite Speedmaster variant is the Silver Snoopy Award 50th Anniversary Edition, and the historical spacefaring connection between Snoopy and Omega is just undeniably cool.

With the new MoonSwatch, Swatch has effectively combined all three of these watches into one MoonSwatch to Rule Them All. The brand even added a couple of extra special details, including a dash of real, exclusive Omega luxury, to really put this thing over the top.

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Let me break it down. First, we’ve got a navy blue Bioceramic case with a white opaline dial. It’s not quite the same setup as the Mission to the Super Blue Moonphase, but it’s pretty close visually, and even features the CK2998-esque blue minute track.

Next, we have the return of the earthphase indicator at 10:00, making this reference the second watch in the world to boast this feature. Situated right below the earthpase window on the dial is, you guessed it, our old pal Snoopy. Donning a space helmet and seated alongside his friend Woodstock, the pair are observing the Earth from the surface of the moon.

Over at 2:00 is the moonphase display, which shows the moon in both the northern and southern hemispheres as on all Moonswatch models featuring the complication.

Swatch

One of the moons appears cartoonish and features Snoopy’s footprint, while the other is more realistic and is ensnared in a fishing net as a nod to August’s full moon, the “Sturgeon Moon,” which is the sole date this watch will be available to purchase. Honestly, the net is the one feature on this watch I don’t love — the watch has enough going on without it, and it doesn’t feel cohesive with the rest of the design.

Swatch has coated the moons with a dusting of Moonshine Gold, Omega’s proprietary yellow gold alloy. Yes, this MoonSwatch contains actual gold. Previous Moonshine Gold editions of the MoonSwatch have exclusively featured the alloy on the chronograph seconds hand, so it’s nice to see a unique application here.

Look closely and you’ll notice another hint of Omega-borrowed luxury on the dial: an aventurine-inspired pattern on all of the hands, subdials and minute track. The starry sky motif has been used by Omega on various Speedmaster Moonphase models, and it really fits the space theme of this particular MoonSwatch.

Swatch

The watch also hides a couple of surprises. Shine a UV light on the dial, and the oceans of the Earth in the earthphase aperture glow blue. Not only that, but a word bubble appears above Snoopy that reads “I beat everybody.” The quote also appears on the caseback below the earth-adorned battery hatch cover; no UV-activation required.

This is admittedly a pretty deep cut for Peanuts fans, as it’s referencing a comic strip from March of 1969 in which the beagle travels to the moon (in his imagination) four months ahead of the Apollo 11 landing and remarks, “I beat everybody,” calling out the Russians and the stupid cat next door as being among those he bested.

Finally, there’s the strap. Unlike every other MoonSwatch, the Mission to Earthphase Moonshine Gold does not come on a velcro fabric strap. Instead, it’s sold on the velcro rubber strap that Swatch introduced back in January and normally sells separately. The rubber is considerably more comfortable with a more premium feel than the fabric strap, so this is a big upgrade out of the box.

Swatch

There’s Always a Catch

If life were fair, Swatch would make every MoonSwatch plentiful and easy to get. But that’s never the case, especially with the really cool MoonSwatches.

While Swatch is claiming the Mission to Earthphase Moonshine Gold is not a limited edition, it’s pretty damn limited. The watch, as expected, is only sold in select physical Swatch stores around the world (list here). What’s worse is it will be available for just one day: August 9, the date of the Sturgeon Moon.

Adding to the bad news is the price, as the combination of Snoopy, an earthphase complication and Moonshine Gold adds up to a serious chunk of change. The watch retails for $400, making it the priciest MoonSwatch by far, beating out the previous top dog — the original Mission to Earthphase — by $75 and soaring a whopping $130 over a standard MoonSwatch.

That price puts it on equal footing with Swatch’s other luxury collab, the Blancpain Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms, which is generally regarded as a superior watch. Whether you think $400 for a MoonSwatch is too much is irrelevant, though, because I guarantee the Mission to Earthphase Moonshine Gold will sell for considerably more once it hits the secondary market.

Swatch

Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch Mission to Earthphase Moonshine Gold

Specs

Case Size	42mm
Movement	Swatch quartz chronograph with moonphase and earthphase
Water Resistance	30m

• $400 at Swatch

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