The new MoonSwatch has arrived with a touch of gold, literally.

When the MoonSwatch was announced last year, perhaps even Swatch did not anticipate the level of fervour it would incite. On its fateful launch day, 26 March 2022, the collaboration virtually sent the internet into meltdown with countless reports of overwhelming demand worldwide by even mainstream media and videos of riotous queues dominating social media feeds. Now, the Swiss marque is set to replicate this success with the release of the MoonSwatch Mission to Moonshine Gold.

It’s hard not to be hit by a sense of déjà vu this Sunday, 5 March. That’s when Swatch posted a teaser for the collaboration’s sophomore offering on its Instagram page. Predictably, this sent watch enthusiasts to a tizzy, just like last year when the inaugural collection was teased. However, while we didn’t know at all what to expect in 2022, the company only told us, “It’s time to change your Swatch” or “It’s time to change your Omega” we at least knew the name of the upcoming watch before the drop – Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch Mission to Moonshine. Yet, we might as well know nothing at all.

If the original MoonSwatches are anything to go by, it’s hard to reconcile the BioCeramic case material (comprising a mix of ceramic and bio-derived plastic) with Moonshine Gold, Omega’s proprietary 18K gold alloy that has a high resistance to the fading of colour over time. Speculations were rife online; we could be seeing the first precious metal MoonSwatches or a BioCeramic version that is colour matched to the exclusive alloy. Perhaps no one could have anticipated what was coming – essentially the Mission to the Moon with a dash of Moonshine Gold.

At first glance, the new watch looks just like the Mission to the Moon, the model that is most faithful to the original Moonwatch. But the chronograph seconds hand has been updated, or we should say, upgraded. Indeed, that unmistakable lustre confirms that it is made of Omega’s Moonshine Gold. More specifically, it has been coated with the precious metal. In a savvy marketing move, Swatch has also revealed that the special chronograph seconds hand has been produced exclusively during the full moon of February, and each watch is accompanied by a certificate that states this production quirk.

The MoonSwatch Mission to Moonshine Gold is the 12th model in the series, meaning it does not replace any of the previous models that are still in current production. Like its predecessors, it is not limited and not available online, but perhaps they will be more limited in production, seeing that the chronograph seconds hands are only produced when there’s a full moon.

Unfortunately, the Mission to Moonshine Gold is currently only available in London, Milan, Tokyo, and Zurich, retailing at CHF275, a slight markup from the original. However, the good news is that Swatch has stated it will be available in other locations during the next full moon. So, watch lovers from the rest of the world outside those four lucky cities will just have to wait.

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