By
Bloomberg
Published
Aug 31, 2023
Swatch Group AG is releasing a special blue plastic limited edition of the coveted Speedmaster as it moves to reinvigorate interest in its Omega MoonSwatch collaboration.
The Swiss company will unveil a new Mission to Neptune version of the collection with a gold-painted seconds hand in select stores worldwide on Aug. 30.
The MoonSwatch collaboration caused global chaos at stores when it debuted in March 2022 as customers queued for hours to get the $260 Swatch version of the vaunted Omega Speedmaster, the first watch worn on the moon.
The blue-cased version has proved the most elusive for collectors as production was temporarily halted after some users reported that the blue dye rubbed off on their skin. The company said the dye was harmless and has now been reformulated.
The Mission to Neptune has nonetheless become one of the most valuable MoonSwatches on the secondary market. While most MoonSwatches now trade around the retail price of about $260, the Neptune fetches an average market price of $821, according to WatchCharts, a website which tracks secondary market prices.
Adding to the hype, Omega ambassador and James Bond actor Daniel Craig has also been spotted wearing the blue MoonSwatch.
It is “a tribute to the Blue Moon of August,” according to Swatch’s Instagram account. The company has released a series of special editions of the MoonSwatch with a full moon theme but all were previously housed in the grey plastic-cased Mission to the Moon version.
