Even if you’ve taken mere cursory glances at the watch industry in the past couple of years, you’re surely aware of the groundbreaking collaboration between Omega and Swatch back in 2022 that broke the horological world. The worlds of luxury and budget watchmaking collided with a series of significantly more affordable bioceramic quartz versions of Omega’s iconic and expensive (and not quartz-powered) Moonwatch. They were available in 11 different variants, each released in a different color — one for each planet, plus the Sun and Moon. However, it was the Moon-themed variant that became the star of 2023, with eleven new Mission to Moonshine Gold editions, featuring second hands made of a proprietary 18k gold alloy. Now, for the first time ever the watchmakers are releasing all 11 as a set, teaming up with Sotheby’s auction house to sell 11 suitcases filled with these 11 watches, with the entirety of the proceeds going to charity.
The concept for the Mission to Moonshine Gold releases is simple. Each variant was made under a different full moon and was limited to the amount that was able to be produced during that day. For each edition, the design of the second hand corresponds with that full moon’s nickname for that month. For instance, the “Pink Moon” edition (April’s full moon) featured pink filling at the tip, while the ”Harvest Moon” edition sported a grain pattern from top to bottom. There were 13 full moons in 2023, and 11 of them got their own unique edition. The one unique case was the blue moon that occurred last August, which spawned a unique watch based on the blue-colored Mission to Neptune, but with a Moonshine Gold second hand.
As we mentioned, there will be 11 of these complete sets, which will each come in a special-edition suitcase. For the 11 days leading up to the auction, each of these 11 suitcases will be displayed in a different Omega Boutique store around the world. Inside will be a one-off coin depicting the 3-letter aviation code of that city. The code will also be on the sides of each watch in the case.
Benefitting Orbis International, a charity that’s dedicated to fighting blindness and vision loss, the auction will be held from February 12 to 24. When the time comes, head over to Sotheby’s to bid on the Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch Mission to Moonshine Gold Complete Sets.
