Introducing: Swatch Keeps It On The Home Planet With The MoonSwatch Mission To EarthPhase
What We Know
MoonSwatch, MoonSwatch, MoonSwatch. That was a Brady Bunch reference for those of you old enough to remember that show (I’m definitely not). It sure feels as though there’s a MoonSwatch for every occasion and a lot for no occasions at all, but today, Swatch has released a new one and this one is novel for more than just the color they’ve chosen. The new Mission to Moonphase release isn’t just a moonphase chronograph, it’s got a new–to-Swatch “Earth Phase Indicator”
The new release, available in select Swatch stores (not online, sorry) on November 2, looks a bit like the original Mission to Mercury and Mission to Moon releases mashed up with a Mission to Moonphase, with a bit of extra sauce. If the “Mission to” stuff is giving you semantic satiation, I promise it’ll all be over soon. Essentially this new watch has a grey dial and grey case, with black tachymeter bezel and black track around the dial. It also has a moonphase indicator, though this time Snoopy has stayed at home to recover from the excitement around the Great Pumpkin and now it’s just a normal moonphase.
The “Earth Phase” is an interesting function, but think about it this way. If the moon looks different from earth depending on the day, then the Earth probably looks different from the moon as well. The luminous earth turns in reverse direction to show the 29.5 of different phases that the Earth goes through as viewed from the moon. And judging by the pictures, there’s three different views of the Earth so each continent gets its own time in the UV-emitting Sun. The watch will run you $325 if you can get to a Swatch store to pick one up.
What We Think
Look, I know all the complaints. These are toy watches. They’re not repairable. There are too many of them. They are too hard to get (though at least some are online now). That is all valid and I understand people want to vent about all of the above. But you can’t deny that the MoonSwatch has become a huge part of the cultural and horological lexicon and extended far beyond a watch world that many of us don’t want to admit is as small as it is. The fact that I have had conversations with people on the street, complimenting their MoonSwatch and they don’t even know it’s called that, means that these releases have extended so far into the realm of “normal” consumerism that the crossover value is higher than maybe anything we’ve seen in the history of watches. So how about another one while we’re at it?
I honestly don’t know where this will fall on my list of “I probably want it but won’t buy it” MoonSwatches. I haven’t bought any past the black Snoopy MoonSwatch I got after Watches and Wonders – my first – but the “Mission to Mars” is probably my next due to the Alaska Project connection. This has suddenly jumped pretty high because of the fun nature of the Earth phase indicator. But I’ve walked to a Swatch store a few times this year and come away with nothing, choosing to save my money instead. We’ll have to see if this pushes me over the edge. Either way, I think we could all use to take a deep breath, say hi to the next person who you see wearing a MoonSwatch, and strike up a conversation. Who knows, they could be one of us some day, or already be one.
The Basics
Brand: Swatch x Omega
Model: MoonSwatch Mission to EarthPhase
Diameter: 42mm
Thickness: 13.75
Case Material: BioCeramic
Dial Color: Silver
Indexes: Luminous moon and earth displays, hands, and indices
Water Resistance: 30m
Strap/Bracelet: Black Velcro
The Movement
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph, moonphase, and Earth phase
Winding: Quartz movement
Pricing & Availability
Price: $325
Availability: At selected Swatch stores worldwide from November 2.
Limited Edition: No
For more, click here.
Hodinkee
