The MoonSwatch Goes Gold With New Mission To Moonshine

The tumultuous story of the SWATCH x Omega MoonSwatch Speedmaster gets a new chapter today with the release of the MoonSwatch Mission To Moonshine Gold. If you were hoping a second release within this collection would offer greater availability after lessons learned with the initial launch, you’re in for a surprise. This special edition MoonSwatch, which makes use of Omega’s Moonshine gold in the timing seconds hand, will only be available for purchase today, and only in the cities of London, Milan, Zürich and Tokyo. Get ready for more crazy tik-tok videos circulating the internet. 

At a glance, the latest MoonSwatch appears to closely resemble the existing Mission to the Moon, and indeed that appears to be the base at work here, even depicting the moon on the caseback. There is one striking difference, however, and that is the use of Omega’s proprietary Moonshine gold in a specific component. Moonshine gold is a rather unique alloy, consisting of silver, copper and palladium to achieve a slightly desaturated appearance compared with regular yellow gold, and it’s worked beautifully in some of our favorite high-end Speedmaster releases in recent years. Here, the material is relegated to the timing seconds hand of the chronograph. Making a subtle but noticeable impact on the overall appearance.

Use of this material lends not only to the name, Mission to Moonshine Gold, but is also relevant to the cities that were selected to host sales of the watch. Each has a connection to gold in large part or otherwise, building on the lore that’s sure to surround this watch and its release. And that’s not the only eyebrow raising detail about this watch. Apparently, this MoonSwatch was built during the full moon that happened on February 5th of this year. I’m not going to question the tricky logistics involved in such a move, or make a guess at exactly what parts of the watch were produced that day, but it’s one of those easter eggs that forum denizens will be quoting for years to come. 

As for the rest of the watch, well, it appears to fall largely inline with the other 11 MoonSwatch, though this is a standalone release. If anything, it might tip their hand at what we can expect to see moving ahead, with special editions featuring quirky and unusual details potentially popping up in limited quantities at random places throughout the world, adding to the fun pop-culture vibes of the watch. Thankfully, the price here has remained relatively flat, coming in at £245, just a hair over the regular MoonSwatch price. 

Still not sure what to make of the MoonSwatch? Don’t miss our initial in-depth review by Zach Weiss right here, and our subsequent thoughts on the watch after the initial excitement wore off a bit right here. To our readers in London, Milan, Zürich and Tokyo, we wish you the best of luck in landing one of these. Catch our full reaction in the video below: