With all of the hysteria the original Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch created, thereโs little wonder the announcement of a new model has only caused more hype and anticipation. Today (a little earlier than Swatch originally stated) we have our first look at the new Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch โMission To MoonShine Goldโ release, which is at the same time enticingly creative and just a little underwhelming.
The first thought that came to our minds when the words โMoonSwatchโ and โMoonShine Goldโ were announced was: โHow are they going to introduce precious metal into such a low-priced watch?โ Now, weโve got the answer with the new model featuring the same colour bioceramic case and dial from the original โMission To The Moon,โ but with a chronograph hand that has been coated in the same proprietary MoonShine Gold alloy that Omega used for the case of the attractive Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited Edition.
For the metallurgists reading, MoonShine Gold is an 18-karat alloy that consists of 75% gold, 14% silver, a little less than 9% copper and1% palladium, which were combined to deliver a slightly paler shade of the rare element, but one that wonโt tarnish so much with age. Swatch has said it used recycled gold taken from its own refinery that produces the cases and bracelets for Omega, which is a great way to use excess gold dust.
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While the visual impact of the new โMission To MoonShine Goldโ is a lot less eye-catching than many mock-ups predicted, itโs a package that doesnโt look over-the-top, while still incorporating a small amount of the promised precious metal. One part of the release we could have done without, however, is the Swatch promise that the first batch of new models was produced on the night of the February full moon, with each watch arriving with a certificate confirming its full moon production.
Unfortunately for Aussies looking to add a โMission To MoonShine Goldโ to their collection, it will not be available online and will only be sold at selected stores in London, Zรผrich, Tokyo, and Milan. Apparently, these cities were selected for their โspecial association with gold,โ which is about as convincing a story as the โcertified full moon production.โ
At the end of the day, the Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch โMission To MoonShine Goldโ is a genuinely cool release that looks good and will inevitably sell out within 15 minutes of shops opening their doors. However, weโd still have bought one without the tales of the full moon production and gold-linked available outlets. They arrive at stores with a CHF25 premium on the original collection, seeing their RRP rise to CHF 275 (AU$445).
