Over the past couple of years consumers have been lusting over an array of collaborations amongst luxury fashion and streetwear brands. From Louis Vuitton x Supreme, to Gucci x The North Face, the list has almost been endless in the recent times. Where luxury fashion houses are collaborating with streetwear designers, and automobile makers, the world of collaborations has in some way eluded that of watches. Or at least it seemed to have eluded watchmaking.
While it may seem like the watch world has eluded the collab phenomena, a quick search will bring up some of the most luxurious collabs of recent times. Remember the Patek Philippe x Tiffany collab that brought us the $6.5 million blue Nautilus, or the TAG Heuer x Porsche collab for those who possible own each of those in their own right? The point is that watchmaking has not eluded the collaboration hype, and this new in house collab from The Swatch Group may just propel the collab space to a whole new level.
The Omega x Swatch collab is born in house at The Swatch Group, and features 11 pieces, each in a unique colourway and all named after planets. What has now been called the most accessible Speedmaster ever is not part of a special limited-edition collection, it is in fact a watch that will keep on being reproduced. Swatch has in recent times turned to bioceremic as their preferred material of use, and this is the exact material used in this capsule collection. The models all feature a Velcro strap and supernova for the hands and indexes. The lume, however, is the lume used on Omega’s more higher end Speedmaster’s, that glow a bright green when in the dark.
While the material may differ, the dimensions of the MoonSwatch is the exact same as its more expensive cousin. The diameter measures in at 42mm, while the watch is 13mm thick. The case back of each watch features images of the planet the watch is tributed to and is set over the battery. Interestingly, each image was sourced directly from NASA.
From among the different colourways and planets (there is one for each personality out there – 11 in total), three of them are odes to previous Speedmasters. Pluto is set in grey with a burgundy bezel, which is an ode to the Speedmaster Moonwatch Apollo 11. Mars features the Alaska Project hands, which for those in the know, is another nod to past watches from the collection. The Moon iteration, set in black and is the closest watch from the collaboration to the original Speedmaster.
The MoonSwatch will be available in 110 Swatch stores around the world and will come at a cost of $257. Those purchasing the watch will only be allowed two at a given time.
