How I got Eight Omega Moonswatches at Retail this month.

For starters, the collaboration between Omega and Swatch to create a speedmaster has been covered in greater detail than we are about to go over here. Instead, this article is going to be about how I got eight of them at retail all within a few weeks. Before I go down that path, for those of you who don’t know what I am talking about, let me go down a quick history of this literal cultural phenomenon, known correctly as the Swatch X Omega Bioceramic Moonswatch.

Early in 2022, Omega and Swatch decided to release a collaboration between both companies. The watch they chose to base the collaboration on was an Omega Speedmaster, frankly the most iconic watch from Omega’s stable of watches. Personally, I love the Speedmaster and I have been struggling with which version to purchase since about 2018 when Rolex watches for all of us became hard to acquire. The somewhat frustrating truth is that Omega created so many Limited Editions of the Speedmaster, that we all got whiplashed on which model to purchase. In recent years, however Omega has made drastic changes to their business model and have (from what this writer can tell) stopped making Limited Editions. In my humble opinion, this made a lot of sense. One or two limited editions per year makes sense. Having countless limited editions makes no sense for Omega to do, and honestly diluted the brand’s identity. The management at Omega has wised up, went back to what makes sense and has been crushing it since. 

Originally, when I heard that Omega and Swatch were going to make a quartz based bioceramic (a kind of plasticy feeling material, that is very cool) watch, I thought they were out of their mind. I was dead wrong. It was genius. What ended up happening was very surprising to all of us—quite literally everyone wants one…including this writer. Right from the start, demand far outpaced supply. This has not let up one little bit, and if anything, I would say it is actually increasing. Additionally, the demand for the actual Omega Speedmaster has begun to really climb. This double whammy effect for Swatch Group, the parent company of both Omega and Swatch worked flawlessly. 

So now that you have some background on this world wide phenomenon, let's answer how you get one. You have two options, first you can directly purchase one from a brick and mortar Swatch store or you can purchase it on the second hand market from someone who got one at a brick and mortar Swatch store. If you are nowhere near a Swatch store, and do not plan to be near one for at least three to four days, then you be most likely be paying a premium for a watch that is $260.00 at retail. On the second-hand market, they range from $350-$4000 depending on the model, there are a total of eleven versions available and some references go for different prices depending on the demand of the second hand market. FYI, always buy a second hand watch from someone you trust, or at least a trusted site. Also, Swatch Group management has made it clear that they will not be selling them online directly to customers. So, do not be tricked by a false website.

Going back to the first option: you have access to a brick and mortar Swatch store. Here is a link to Swatch’s store locator. In the US, there are about thirty Swatch stores, many in the New York City area. In Switzerland, where I was for a long period of the summer of 2022, there are quite a few store locations. The way I was able to purchase and collect eight of them was through diligence. I called, walked by, and somewhat stalked Swatch stores many times per day. If I was in a city that had a store, I would call them a few times times that day. I would park my car close to where I was going to be and if the store said they had them when I called, I quickly went to the store. Sometimes I got lucky, however many times I did not. That is the name of the watch game. Sometimes you are in the right place at the right time, however most of the time you are not. That is just part of the fun. 

The Swatch store employees are people just like you and me, too so I also suggest not being a jerk. Be nice, be friendly. If you are going to be in one location for an extended period, buy a Swatch watch that you like for yourself, or your kids, and chat up the salesperson. We all just went through COVID together, they also had a crappy time with it too. So treat them with a little respect when they don’t have them in stock and kindly ask when they think they will have them. I know this seems like common sense, but for some reason manners seem to be lost today. You remember what your Grandma taught you, the Golden Rule!!! You will catch a lot more Moonswatches with honey than with a crappy attitude (pretty sure that is how the saying goes). And, sadly we witnessed many such crappy attitudes from customers who were told, no, I am sorry we do not have any at this moment. Huffing and puffing won’t make more Moonswatches just appear out of nowhere…but there are ways to be more likely to get one later that day (keep reading). 

Some Omega Moonswatch rules and insider tips you may not know about: First, you can only buy one watch per customer, per day. They are pretty strict about this. Second, most Swatch stores get 1-2 small shipments/batches of Moonswatches per day, so, if they didn’t have any that morning, it doesn’t mean they won't have any that afternoon, that is why you have to check back more than once per day. Oftentimes we seemed to get lucky early morning, around 12:00, and then again around 4:00pm. Sometimes just asking, and being nice to the salesperson will get you the specific time to come back. When I asked directly, one representative said quietly, “The delivery usually arrives in about about 40 minutes from now, so try coming back then.” We came back at that time, and they had arrived. We got one, however within minutes, they sold out.

Another insider tip: If you don’t like the strap, you can buy a different size or color Moonwatch strap from a Swatch store for 25CHF. This was a very cool, but not advertised feature, we learned about from a nice Swatch employee we chatted with. They are stored in a drawer behind the counter, and probably won’t be offered unless you ask. But you know how much we love a strap swap here at Everest Bands, so we bought some extra straps as well. For example, we put a charcoal gray Omega Mission to Pluto strap on the pink Omega Mission to Venus Moonswatch and it looks incredible.

Hopefully my experiences help you acquire and find the Moonswatch you are looking for. Something to note is that Swatch Group has made it abundantly clear that the Moonswatch will not be a limited edition. It does give you something to remember as time goes on with this new piece of horological history. Good luck finding one and wear it in good health!

Just a quick point, if you are looking for a rubber strap for your Moonswatch check out our universal rubber strap or maybe a nato would be cool on it!