It’s not like Omega and Swatch needed any validation for their replica Speedmaster collaboration but Ed Sheeran has provided it anyway.
A month after the Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch sent the watch world doolally, causing people to camp outside Swatch stores around the world in the hope of bagging one for themselves, the king of sickly-sweet pop music is the first high profile owner of a MoonSwatch.
While we are yet to hear how he got him and there have been no sightings of Suffolk-born-and-bred Sheeran in a sleeping bag outside the Swatch store in Colchester or Bury St Edmunds, the head honchos at Omega and Swatch will no doubt be absolutely thrilled that he’s a fan. And not just because he’s super famous.
In the horological stakes, Sheeran is one of the most knowledgeable celebrities – second to perhaps John Mayer. He knows his crowns from his complications and has one of the most impressive, wide-ranging watch collections, so the fact that he was fully aware of the buzz around the MoonSwatch and wanted one speaks volumes for the collaboration’s integrity and its reception among watch people in the know.
The MoonSwatch’s appeal is that, aside from being the most affordable Speedmaster ever (albeit a bioceramic one), there are 11 colourways to choose from – all named after planets in the solar system with certain nods to each planet. So owning one of the hottest watches on the planet right now is one thing, but what is particularly interesting about Sheeran’s latest addition to is his decision to go for the ‘Mission to the Moon’ piece. At £207 each, he could of course afford to have all of them but by choosing the Moon colourway he more than vindicates Omega’s decision to share the DNA of its most iconic watch in history with Swatch.
As Omega’s head of product design, Gregory Kissling, told GQ before the watch was launched, “The reference was the latest release we made for the Moonwatch with the master chronmaster upgrade, but really the inspiration is from the fourth generation of the first watch worn on the moon – the famous ST105.012, which has exactly the same dimensions.”
While the Moon’s black colourway wasn’t the first to be designed in the collection – that honour goes to the ‘Mission to the Sun’, Omega CEO Raynald Aeschlimann told us that naturally the original colour needed to be included in this special project. And for that reason, it was of the utmost importance that it was designed to the highest possible spec.
“The nature of the case body was a huge technical challenge just to produce the mould in order to inject the components and the dials. Usually we have flat dials, but in this case we introduced the recessed subdials and also the little step,” added Kissling, detailing the levels the teams went to in ensuring this Swatch was as similar to an Omega as possible.
The overwhelming majority of watch lovers were complementary about the collaboration but a few people did question whether it cheapened Omega Speedmasters, which is why Sheeran’s decision to bag the MoonSwatch most like Omega’s original is an important one. Any other colourway – Mars has been popular, as has Saturn – would have proven Sheeran was into the idea of a Swatch Speedmaster. But as a respected watch authority himself, opting for the Moon has essentially debunked the idea around this collab being anything other than a whole-hearted success, and a shining example of how the watch industry can be more accessible and inclusive to more people.
Now you know more about the MoonSwatch, make like Ed Sheeran and go join the queue to bag one yourself.
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