Hello everyone! In this article, I’ll be featuring my recent watch acquisition, the Swatch X Omega MoonSwatch “Mission to the Sun”.
This is essentially a series where I shine a spotlight on my personal purchases. I’ve previously done similar articles on my Kurono Tokyo Toki, IWC Mark XVIII Le Petit Prince, TAG Heuer Monaco CAW211B, Tissot PRX Powermatic 80, Bell & Ross BR 05, Santos de Cartier, Tudor Black Bay 58 Blue, Ming 17.09, and most recently my Grand Seiko SBGA413 “Shunbun”. In this article, I’ll showcase my latest purchase – the Swatch X Omega MoonSwatch “Mission to the Sun”.
The MoonSwatch needs no introduction. When it was first released earlier this year, it caused havoc at Swatch stores worldwide. Launch day didn’t go well as fights broke out, and MoonSwatches were immediately flipped for ridiculous prices. Now that the dust has settled however, there’s no denying that the MoonSwatch was a groundbreaking collaboration that no one (not even seasoned watch enthusiasts/journalists) expected. It has become a landmark moment in culture, not just in the horological world but in mainstream pop culture as well. I’ve been following watches for quite some time, and I have never seen a release become so “hyped” by the masses, nor the interest and enthusiasm that ensued. Friends who do not own a single watch (not even an Apple watch) asked me about my opinion on the MoonSwatch. I knew I had to get one at some point, simply because it’s such a historic collaboration – there may never be another one like it.
I didn’t join the queue for launch day, nor visit the Swatch store daily for the MoonSwatch. I was in no rush to get one, but simply checked the Swatch store every time I was in ION/MBS. After months of walking by the Swatch stores, I finally chanced upon a drop, and joined the queue as the last customer (they issued 80 purchase tickets whilst I was there, and I managed to snatch the last one). I went in desiring the poor man’s Alaska Project Mission to Mars, but the bugger in front of me snagged the last one. All that was left was the Mission to the Sun, and at that point sunk cost fallacy sunk in (no pun intended). I had already spent an hour queing, and I wasn’t going to go home empty-handed. Thus, I left with the Mission to the Sun.
I didn’t expect to like the Mission to the Sun, but the MoonSwatch actually grew on me as it was suprisingly full of detail. For one, the “Sun” is the only MoonSwatch that has a sunburst dial (no prizes for guessing why) – the rest have matte dials that look prosaic in comparison. I also loved the orange accents of the “Sun”, which reminds me of the venerable Speedmaster “Ultraman”. It also has Swatch’s secret signatures (center of dial, and at the bottom) on the crystal. Yet, it remains faithful to the iconic Speedmaster, retaining its trademark phallic 12 o-clock marker, the “dot over 90” on the bezel, the painted white pencil hands, and twisted lugs. Yet, it is also quintessetially Swatch in its affordability and quirkiness – the watch is fun and full of character.
After a month of wearing the Mission to the Sun, I have grown to really like it. I wear the “Sun” whenever I play tennis (I try to play weekly), so it has become a sports watch of sorts. Due to its Bioceramic case, the MoonSwatch is actually really light on the wrist – just 29g, to be exact. For comparison, that’s even lighter than Rafael Nadal’s RM-27-04, which he wears on court. It also has a reliable and precise chronograph quartz movement within, which I use to time the duration of my sets. But most importantly, the yellow and white colourway of the “Sun” reminds me of tennis balls, making it the perfect court companion.
Still, there are some dislikes. For one, I wish it had a mecha-quartz chronograph movement with a sweeping seconds hand – that would have mimicked the Speedmaster even more closely. I also dislike the bulky velcro strap – it’s stiff and has a weird artificial feeling. I swapped out the velcro for a curved-lug rubber strap from Strapatelier, and the watch immediately felt much more comfortable on the wrist. It’s a bit of a shame actually, as I quite like the Speedmaster detailing on the strap (which mimics the NASA velcro straps launched last year – I covered that over on SJX).
While I don’t have the exact numbers, I would wager that the Mission to the Sun is likely one of the less popular MoonSwatch variants. And that’s a shame – like its namesake, I believe it to be the star of the collection. Not only does it possess a sunburst dial which glistens in sunlight, the MoonSwatch “Sun” manages to capture the playful ethos of Swatch, while remaining faithful to Omega’s iconic Speedmaster. In other words, it strikes a perfect balance, and should be celebrated as a result.
Just don’t expect Speedmaster quality.
Swatch X Omega MoonSwatch “Mission to the Sun” – Video Review
For those interested in seeing some hands-on footage of the watch, do watch my Youtube review of the Swatch X Omega MoonSwatch “Mission to the Sun” below:
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