Pop science quiz: What do you get when you mix two-thirds ceramic and one-third of a material derived from castor oil? If you are a watch nerd, and have been anywhere near social media over the last few hours, you’d come up with the answer Bioceramic.
That’s the material that has gone into the making of the latest Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch collection that has just debuted in a total of 11 variations.
The overall look of the collection features recognisable traits of a regular Omega Speedmaster including the tachymeter and the familiar Speedmaster subdial arrangement – only in this case, you have co-branding of the Omega x Swatch on the dial, MoonSwatch written under the sub-dial at 3 o’clock and a price tag of just $260.
Each variant features a nod to the different planets within our solar system including Mars, Mercury, Saturn and so on. It also has variants celebrating the Sun and the Moon itself. The names of each watch are prefixed with the words “Mission to…”.
The 42mm case that is 13.25mm thick features a quartz chronograph movement. The collection will debut on March 26, although the exact locations around the world from where you’ll be able to get one are not yet known.
The Swatch Group is Omega’s parent company and the latest timepiece is a bold statement for Omega and Swatch Group considering that the typical price tag for an Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch is around the $6,000 mark. Still, the latest creation has become an instant hit online with the collection being seen as making the brand – and watchmaking at large – accessible (and affordable) to a much wider audience.
“Omega’s long and distinguished history may have been cut short if it wasn’t for the vision and the courage taken by Swatch,” Omega’s president and CEO, Raynald Aeschlimann, said. “The MoonSwatch collection salutes the saviours of our industry in a witty and accessible way.
“The Swatches are perfect for budding Moonwatch fans and I can’t think of a more appropriate icon for our shared project. We went to the moon, now we’re exploring the whole Milky Way.”
This article originally appeared on Gulf Business and has been republished here with permission.
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Images: Supplied
