The success of the Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch is undeniable. Its release in March 2022 led to a mass frenzy of people trying to buy the inexpensive hybrid watch. New releases of the chronograph continue to be popular among a cross-section of consumers.
Now the success of Omega is being tested on the auction market.
From February 12 -24, Omega will auction 11 MoonSwatch Moonshine Gold suitcases, each containing all 11 Omega x Swatch “Mission to Moonshine Gold” timepieces. The auction will be held online through Sotheby’s.
This is the first time these models are offered together in one set, and the first time that the special suitcase is available to buy.
All auction proceeds will be given to Omega’s long-term partner, Orbis International, a non-profit non-governmental organization dedicated to saving sight worldwide. Its programs focus on the prevention of blindness and the treatment of blinding eye diseases in developing countries.
The 11 “Mission to Moonshine Gold” suitcases are currently on display at 11 OMEGA Boutiques around the world until February 11 in Zurich, Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing, New York, London, Milan, Paris, and Sydney.
“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,” Omega said in a statement. “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.”
In addition to the hysteria created in the original launch of the MoonSwatch collection by Omega x Swatch, the watches earned critical praise for the quality of the chronographs and for the company’s creative approach to marketing, by creating and selling a product of immediate appeal and rarity.
The watch cases are produced in the Swatch Group’s proprietary “bioceramic,” a material that consists of two-thirds zirconium oxide ceramic powder and one-third biosourced material derived from castor oil, Swatch Group said.
The watch manufacturer adds that this results “in a material with unparalleled strength and softness.” The 11 models draw their colorful inspiration from space and the planets and the Omega Speedmaster design.
In 2023, Swatch and Omega expanded the collection to “Mission to Moonshine Gold” versions. Each of these 11 watches feature a seconds hand coated in proprietary “Moonshine Gold,” an 18k yellow gold alloy that Omega says was inspired by the “shining moonlight in a dark blue sky.”
The watch brand says the material offers “a distinctive paler hue than traditional 18k yellow gold and high resistance to the fading of color and luster over time.” Its composition includes silver, copper and palladium.
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 a lollipop design based on the Speedmaster CK2998 watch from 1961.
The suitcases contain a monocle with the Omega x Swatch logo, and a one-of-a-kind coin, engraved with the three-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.
The auction will be hosted by Sotheby’s and accessible globally online at Sothebys.com where the bidding will start on February 12 and end on February 24, which coincides with the next full moon.
This article was first published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
