There’s been a popular trend lately – collaborations between luxury and street brands, the best or worlds, creating innovative new products (see Dior x Birkenstock). Toss Omega and Swatch into that mix.
Related: Omega’s 2022 men’s watch releases strike a balance between all-new and tried-and-true
With the new MoonSwatch collection, in vibrant colours, Omega has spearheaded a playful twist on its vaunted Moonwatch collection. For Omega president of CEO Raynald Aeschlimann, they’re great watches in playful colours, “and they make me smile.” That’s easy to see. Hardcore Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch fans, with its iconic black dial, might look at these differently. However the key Moonwatch design features are all there.
Omega MoonSwatch Uranus
Playful take on iconic Speedmaster
The brands have taken their design inspiration from space, a collection of 11 watches named after planetary bodies. All the Swatches are in BIOCERAMIC, a mix of two-thirds ceramic and one-third material derived from caster oil. They are popular, and tough to find right now. Try a reputable watch market to find the one you want.
Those Moonwatch features for Omega fans? Start with the design features of these – the asymmetrical case, the famous tachymeter scale with dot over ninety, plus those distinctive Omega Speedmaster subdials. Make no mistake though, these are Swatches, in terms of build quality. That’s why they are priced the way they are.
“The Swatches are perfect for budding Moonwatch fans and I can’t think of a more appropriate icon for our shared project,” Aeschlimann adds. “We went to the moon, now we’re exploring the whole Milky Way.”
Click on image to enlarge and view gallery
Is Omega alienating the luxury watch enthusiast with MoonSwatch?
Each MoonSwatch, sized 42 mm, features its own mission statement, inspirational engravings and joint OMEGA X SWATCH logos on the dial and crown. Each comes with a velcro strap. You’re getting an iconic Omega brand at Swatch prices ($320 CAD). That’s more appealing especially for a younger generation looking to get into the watch segment but without the means to buy one of the top luxury watch brands.
The launch has generated a lot of chatter in the watch community. It’s a substantive watch release, no doubt. Sure, hardcore watch enthusiasts, especially those in the luxury category, might look at these as a bit too bold, colourful, even kitschy. Omega is a Top 3 brand in the Swiss watch industry, in terms of sales volume. Are they messing too much with their reputation as a luxury exclusive watchmaker?
In the end, though, we can all use a little brightness these days, don’t you think?
