Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch – Mission to Mercury Review

The watch that got me back into collecting and reviewing wasn’t a grail watch or an affordable cheapie that punches above its weight – it was… a plastic quartz Swatch?

Swatch has moved upmarket of late, collaborating with other Swatch group companies. The first such collaboration was the MoonSwatch – an exclusive(ish) watch with both Omega and Swatch written on the dial that was initially only available by walking into a Swatch shop and hoping they had some in stock. When I went to the surprisingly small shop in London I found they had a large selection available and the staff were very happy to let me try a few watches before choosing one.

Some models are now available online, so if one of the more traditional-looking models is on your radar you won’t even need to leave the house.

The box is made of cardboard and contains the usual plethora of paperwork, all finished in tactile black to match the watch.

Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch Overview

Case and movement

The MoonSwatch is made of a so-called ‘bioceramic’ material. Swatch make great bones about its innovative makeup and sustainable production process but when something looks like plastic and feels like plastic I’ll describe it as such. The case is nice finished in dark grey on this model (although there is a colour way for each planet in our solar system) and it’s very, very light – but not in an unpleasant way.

Indeed, that lack of mass makes the 42mm case wear like a dream with no issues of balance nor fatigue from regular wear. The movement is your standard quartz chronograph with running seconds in a sub-dial and pushers at 2 O’clock (to start and stop it) and 4 O’clock (to reset it).

The crown action is fine, with a large area to grip. There’s no screw-in action on this watch so it smoothly clicks between its two positions. It’s signed with both the Swatch S and the Omega logo. Round the back is an engraved caseback with a little planet Mercury that cleverly covers the battery (which Swatch promised to change for free, for life – if I take it back to a Swatch AD).

I really like the way this watch wears. It is big but not bulky and the bioceramic has a pleasant warm feel against the skin.

Dial and Hands

The dial of the MoonSwatch is a joy. Of course, it closely resembles the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch from which it is derived, with lumed stick markers, three sub-dials (running seconds, elapsed minutes and sub-second timer) and crisp white printed text against a grey dial. The lume is surprisingly good – it’s Super-Luminova which I didn’t expect – and everything is easy to read with high contrast between the dial and the hands and markers.

Strap

I didn’t like the stock strap – a dual-branded velcro two-part fabric design. The ‘short bit’ is too short and the whole thing felt cheap. It’s easy to fit with basically infinite sizing adjustments but I switched to a £10 rubber strap from Amazon (this one) that fits the watch perfectly and is much more comfortable for my wrist.

Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch – The WRUK Verdict

Overall? I love my MoonSwatch. I’m happy that I got my money’s worth and I really enjoy wearing it. Recommended.

Buy a Moonswatch

You can buy an Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch in-person from a Swatch AD or online from https://www.swatch.com/. Alternatively you can buy a pre-owned MoonSwatch from eBay.

The aftermarket rubber strap I have fitted came from Amazon.