To the average consumer, it may not be obvious that most of the big watch brands are owned by a handful of large conglomerates. And it might be even more surprising that a luxury watchmaker such as Omega, renowned for its technical timekeeping, could sit alongside a high-street name such as Swatch, favoured for its playful and youthful designs. Yet both belong to the Swatch Group, and this can bring its own unique benefits, including the pooling together of expertise, resources and creative ideas. 

The new product of this collaboration is the Bioceramic MoonSwatch. It is based on one of Omega’s best-loved timepieces, the Speedmaster, which famously accompanied the astronauts on the 1969 moon landing. To all intents and purposes it looks like the original watch, with its trademark features including the asymmetrical case, tachymeter scale with a dot over 90, and the distinctive subdials. 

However, this new collection is more whimsical – and accessible, being priced at £207 for these quartz models – than anything you could normally expect from Omega. Each piece in the collection of 11 takes its name from a different planetary body, with some equally out-of-this-world colour combinations to match. Alongside more reserved black-and-white-dialled options are those that pop in bold blues, greens and yellows, or with pink and red highlights. These bright hues are achievable thanks to the case made of bioceramic, a blend of ceramic and bio-sourced plastic that is stylish and hard-wearing. 

So, if you’ve ever dreamed of owning a Speedmaster but have been hesitant in splashing the cash – or simply been holding out for a pastel pink version – act quickly. 

swatch.com