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Robert Pearlman
Omega release
11 MoonSwatch Moonshine Gold Suitcases To Be Auctioned at Sotheby's for Orbis
From February 12 - 24, Omega will auction 11 MoonSwatch Moonshine Gold suitcases through Sotheby's, each containing all of the 11 OMEGA x Swatch "Mission to Moonshine Gold" timepieces.
This is the very first time that these rare models are offered together in one set, and the first time that the special suitcase is available to buy, giving fans the chance to own a truly unique compilation. 100% of the auction proceeds will be given to Omega's long-term partner, Orbis International, who fight avoidable blindness and vision loss around the world.
Before the auction concludes on February 24th, the 11 "Mission to Moonshine Gold" suitcases will go on display at 11 Omega Boutiques around the world from February 1st to 11th, including Boutiques in Zurich, Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing, New York, London, Milan, Paris, and Sydney. Visitors are encouraged to drop by and set their eyes on the collection being offered.
Omega Supports Orbis
Orbis's work is especially valuable for children, allowing many of them to see their parents, the moon, and the stars for the very first time. Through its programs and on board the Flying Eye Hospital, Orbis has provided care for millions of patients, while also training eye care professionals in areas with the greatest need globally. Omega has supported Orbis since 2011 and this upcoming auction will highlight the brand's ongoing commitment to the cause.
Seconds hand coated in 18K Moonshine Gold
Throughout the months of 2023, the collection was given a radiant twist – in the form of the "Mission to Moonshine Gold" versions. These 11 watches each feature a seconds hand coated in 18K Moonshine Gold – a distinctive alloy created in-house at Omega that offers a more subtle and long-lasting form of yellow gold. Each of the Moonshine Gold hands also reveal their own special detail, such as a strawberry pattern for the Strawberry Moon in July, a flower pattern for the Flower Moon in May, and even a lollipop design that follows the Speedmaster CK2998 watch from 1961.
The unique suitcases
The suitcases themselves are truly unique, as they contain a golden monocle with the Omega x Swatch logo, and a one-of-a-kind coin, engraved with the 3-letter aviation code from their displayed city (such as HKG for Hong Kong). This same code will be engraved on the side of all watches within the suitcase for that particular city.
Follow the auction
The auction will be hosted by Sotheby's and accessible globally online at Sothebys.com where the bidding will start on February 12th and end on February 24th — the next full moon. It's a space-inspired series that will create excitement across the planet.
The NASA safety mascot (and "first beagle on the moon") appears on the latest version of Swatch's popular timepieces that are styled after the first watch worn on the moon. What's more, the comic strip character stars as part of a moon phase indicator, a feature absent from the previous solar system-themed MoonSwatches and the Omega Speedmaster Professional on which they are all based.
"Houston, the Bioceramic MoonSwatch 'Mission to the MoonPhase' has landed. A new model, all in white to celebrate the full moon, has touched down on the moon smoothly, in the planned location and on schedule," announced Swatch in a press release.
Robert Pearlman
Swatch is teasing on Instagram that a black dial version of the Mission to MoonPhase starring Snoopy is coming on April 8, 2024 — this Monday, the same day as the total solar eclipse across the United States.
Robert Pearlman
Swatch release
Bioceramic MoonSwatch Mission to the MoonPhase Lands on the Moon Once Again
The Bioceramic MoonSwatch "Mission to the MoonPhase" is seeing double. After the model launched on March 26, Swatch is now celebrating the new moon, with the all-black "New Moon" watch. Just like the "Full Moon" model, this watch features a moon phase on the dial, with Snoopy catching some zz's on it.
Two years after the launch of the legendary collaboration with Omega, Swatch releases not one, but two new, non-limited models celebrating the moon. The "New Moon" model depicts a black moon phase disc with a black semi-transparent mask, to celebrate the new moon.
The Bioceramic MoonSwatch "Mission to the MoonPhase: New Moon" is available from April 8, only in selected Swatch stores. As with the whole Bioceramic MoonSwatch Collection, only one watch can be purchased per person, per day and per Swatch store.
On the subdial at 2 o'clock, Snoopy, NASA's mascot, is lying on the moon phase. On the model's moon phase mask and disc, a hidden quote from a Snoopy comic strip is nestled amidst crescent moons and stars, that can be seen under UV light. The Silver Snoopy Award is the most prestigious honor the United States' space agency awards to individuals and organizations for outstanding achievements related to human flight safety or mission success. This prestigious prize was awarded to Omega in 1970 for its role in the history of space exploration, including its essential contribution to bringing the crew of Apollo 13 back home safe and sound.
In 1970, an exploding oxygen tank during the Apollo 13 mission placed the astronauts' lives in danger. One of the many challenges the crew had to face was timing the 14-second launch time that would allow them to get back to Earth. Luckily, they had an Omega chronograph watch, the Speedmaster Moonwatch, to get the job done. Not only that, but in May of 1969, the Apollo 10 mission, which was tasked with carrying out the initial sweep before an attempted moon landing, had to skim the surface of the moon and 'snoop around' to identify the Apollo 11 landing site. The lunar module was christened Snoopy. Ever since then, the Snoopy emblem is considered a lucky charm among astronauts.
Snoopy also shows up on the moon phase disc of the Bioceramic MoonSwatch "Mission to the MoonPhase: Full Moon," which is already available at selected Swatch stores.
Like all the models in the Omega X Swatch collaboration, both Bioceramic MoonSwatch "Mission to the MoonPhase" watches are made from Swatch's patented Bioceramic, a unique mix of two-thirds ceramic and one-third biosourced materials produced from castor oil.
Fans will find in these two new non-limited models all the characteristic features of Omega's legendary Speedmaster Moonwatch, the first watch to go to the moon: the asymmetrical case, the famous tachymeter-scaled bezel with the dot over the 90 and the typical Speedmaster subdials. The Bioceramic MoonSwatch "Mission to the MoonPhase" watches feature their mission statement on the caseback, and the Omega X Swatch logos on the dial and crown. A moon inspired by the world of Snoopy can be seen on the battery cover. A spacesuit-ready Velcro strap adds that final touch of astronaut chic.
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