The saga continues with the Swatch Moonwatch. This week, they release the new Mission to Earthphase, with the moon depicted in Moonshine gold. Navy blue Bioceramic case, crown and pushThe saga continues with the Swatch Moonwatch. This week, they release the new Mission to Earthphase, with the moon depicted in Moonshine gold. Navy blue Bioceramic case, crown and pushers.
Press Release details with commentary in italics.
New: Swatch Mission to Earthphase – Moonshine Gold
The Swatch Mission to Earthphase – Moonshine Gold Ref. SO33N701L retails at CHF 350 / SGD 535 and will be available at selected Swatch stores worldwide only on August 9.
Commentary
A new Swatch Moonwatch release. This time in a blue Bioceramic execution in addition to the existing grey Earthphase model ref. SO33M700 which was released in October 2024. This is the same watch but now in a new colour-way. Frankly, this new execution in blue seems a whole lot more attractive to the eye than the grey colour-way released earlier. The dial, remains the same, with a white base, but now has Navy blue chapter rings for the main minute track as well as the 60 second continuous counter above 6 o’clock. The same interesting complication of the earth phase, showing how the Earth appears when viewed from the Moon is also present.
This complication is interesting because the usual is the ubiquitous terrestrial based view of the Moon. This complication is particularly clever as it is simple to execute. The earthphase is simply the moonphase display, but moving in reverse direction. However, we do not put down the seemingly lowly complication of the moonphase. This rarely appears in quartz driven movements.
A regular moonphase display still appears on the watch, as a double moon indicator, with the moon depicted in gold plated Moonshine gold.
In the effort to cash in on the ever popular Snoopy, Swatch has included an illustration of the beagle with his friend Woodstock sitting on the moon. A quote “I beat everybody” appears under UV light.
Pricing has increased somewhat, perhaps due to the use of the tiny bit of Moonshine gold, but the SO33M700 retails at SGD 465 vs the SGD 535 for the new SO33N701L.
Release information
MISSION TO EARTHPHASE – MOONSHINE GOLD, is the new timepiece in the Bioceramic MoonSwatch Collection available exclusively on August 9, the day of the full moon, at selected Swatch stores worldwide. Featuring Swatch’s latest earth phase innovation, a moon phase indicator adorned with OMEGA’s Moonshine™ Gold and illustrations from the world of Snoopy, this release is a reminder that imagination and daring to dream big, is the first step to going further than anyone thought possible.
An innovative complication introduced last year by Swatch, the earth phase shows how Earth appears when viewed from the Moon. Just like the moon phases, the earth phases follow a 29.5-day cycle, but in reverse. When there’s a full moon, we see a new earth, and when there’s a new moon, we glimpse a full earth. This inverse relationship causes the earth on the earth phase to move counterclockwise, opposite to the direction of the moon on the moon phase indicator. It’s a poetic reinterpretation of the retrograde function seen in certain high-end timepieces.
Beneath the earth phase indicator is an illustration of Snoopy, the beloved beagle and famous flying ace, joined by his ever-loyal friend and frequent co-pilot, Woodstock sitting on the Moon, marveling at the enchanting spectacle of Earth, the most beautiful planet of them all. The illustration features a phrase that appears only under UV light, a playful nod to the pioneering spirit of the Moonwatch, the first watch on the Moon, and a tribute to those who are the first to imagine things differently.
At the 2 o’clock subdial, MISSION TO EARTHPHASE – MOONSHINE GOLD, boasts a moon phase indicator. Featuring two radiant full moons, one designed in the distinctive style of the world of Snoopy and both coated with OMEGA’s Moonshine™ Gold, this moon phase indicator, is inspired by the Sturgeon Moon, the full moon set to appear during the month of this watch release. In a playful nod to the origins of the full moon’s name, one moon on the indicator is draped in a net-like pattern.
Swatch Mission to Earthphase – Moonshine Gold specifications
Case material: navy Bioceramic case, crown and pushers
Case diameter: 42.00 mm
Case thickness: 13.75 mm
Lug-to-lug distance: 47.30 mm
Quartz movement: chronograph (seconds only) with moon phase and earth phase indicators
Water resistance: 3 bar
Glass: box-shaped in biosourced material; an “S” engraved in the center in reference to the Swatch logo
Dial: white opaline with OMEGA X Swatch, Speedmaster and MoonSwatch logos; recessed subdial, hour markers coated with Grade A Super-LumiNova® (green emission). Moon phase indicator with sparkly dark blue moon phase disc featuring two full moons coated with OMEGA’s Moon-shine™ Gold. Secret detail in UV ink (blue emission). Earth phase indicator featuring the Earth in sparkly dark blue hues and oceans coated with UV ink (blue emission).
Hands: hours, minutes and tip of the chronograph seconds hand coated in Grade A Super-LumiNova® (green emission)
Bezel: navy Bioceramic bezel with tachymeter scale featuring white markers
Strap: navy VELCRO® rubber strap, navy Bioceramic loop
1 Comment
What to do when your moonswatch novelty watch business wears thin and sales drop off. Why you simply bring out a slightly different iteration of it at an increased price, instead of putting the previous iterations on sale for example. After a new round of hype and pomp to try to bring back demand, let’s see how long that lasts. I gotta admit though, it’s a novel ploy; The ol’ “if the public has tired of the moonswatch gimmick, let’s make them pay more for it” approach. Ha!