If you thought 2026 would only bring one thrilling Swatch collaboration, you couldn’t possibly be more wrong. The Royal Pop may have taken May and June by storm, but it might just be time for the MoonSwatch, the legendary Omega x Swatch collaboration riffing on the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, to reclaim its throne.
In one of the biggest surprise drops of the watch world this summer, Swatch has just launched a limited-edition MoonSwatch celebrating the Moon landing of Apollo 11, on 21 July 1969, aptly titled the MISSION O THE MOON 1969.
Where this one’s different from previous models is that it’s all built around gold, made from Omega’s 18-carat Moonshine Gold, its trademarked yellow gold alloy that’s a little paler and more fade-resistant than traditional yellow gold. The dial, hands, crown and pushers, all weighing 11 grams, are made from Moonshine Gold, so it’s not just a finishing touch, it’s the heart of the piece.
Perhaps even more excitingly, all the gold used for these limited-edition watches comes from the period of the Apollo 11 landing, coming from Omega’s spare parts that were then melted down to create Moonshine Gold.
If you’re a MoonSwatch fan, a collector, or simply even a Swatch lover, this isn’t going to be an easy one to get. You have to apply to get the watch, filling out a questionnaire of 32 open-ended and multiple-choice questions that span topics such as Omega’s heritage, historical facts, and… a few curveballs. Swatch are serious about it, too, as once you’ve started you only have 2 hours and 15 minutes to complete the application.
After the window closes, the applications will be reviewed and some who responded correctly will be offered the chance to buy one of the MISSION TO THE MOON 1969 models. Fittingly, only 1,969 are being made, and they will be priced at £520. It’s a little steeper than the £240 price tag of the other MoonSwatch models, but given its luxurious gold additions, we’re not entirely surprised.