The Bioceramic MoonSwatch MISSION TO EARTHPHASE celebrates our two nearest celestial bodies, the Earth and the Moon. Swatch’s new non-limited creation not only comes with a moon phase, but more importantly–and for the first time in watchmaking history–an earth phase. Never before have these two poetic complications been combined in the same watch. In so doing, Swatch puts a different spin on Galileo’s famous quote “And yet it moves!” and playfully declares “And yet they move!”.
Just like the Bioceramic MoonSwatch MISSION TO THE MOONPHASE watches, the MISSION TO EARTHPHASE sports a moon phase on the subdial at two o’clock. The celestial body changes based on its cycles, which can be observed using the two-Moon disc and mask (northern and southern hemispheres).
As for the earth phase, looking at the dial at ten o’clock, we can admire the movements of our planet as seen from the Moon. The patented earth phase is coloured to pay tribute to the diversity and beauty of the blue planet. Clouds are also visible, along with the contrast between oceans, forests and deserts. Adding an otherworldly touch, the oceans are coated with UV ink (blue emission) visible only in UV light.
To emphasise this enchanting view of the Moon facing the Earth, the craters of the moon have been created using digital printing. The watch’s dial also features a unique graining that resembles lunar dust, further enhancing its resemblance to the Moon.
How do these two elements, lunar and terrestrial, fit together? The moon phase shows how the Moon appears when seen from Earth. The earth phase shows how the Earth appears when seen from the Moon. The length of a moon phase and an earth phase are the same, 29.5 days. But the cycles are inversely related. So, when there’s a Full Moon, we have a New Earth. And when there’s a New Moon, we have a Full Earth. This is why the earth phase turns counterclockwise and in the opposite direction to the Moon. This is a kind of poetic reinterpretation of the retrograde function featured in some high-end watches.
For the creation of this beautiful watch with its earth phase, Swatch was inspired by Earth as seen from the Moon, a mesmerising view that has been captured in iconic images during various Apollo missions.
But the earth phase and moon phase are not the only notable features on the Bioceramic MoonSwatch MISSION TO EARTHPHASE. Like all the models in the Bioceramic MoonSwatch Collection, MISSION TO EARTHPHASE is made from the brand’s patented Bioceramic, a unique mix of two-thirds ceramic and one-third biosourced materials produced from castor oil. The Bioceramic bezel features a black tachymeter scale and striking light grey markers, a newly created colour. The watch also has a chronograph function.
This new watch, a non-limited edition, sports its mission statement on the back of the case, as well as OMEGA X SWATCH logos on the dial and crown. The Moon appears on the battery cover, bearing the footprint of Neil Armstrong–the first man to set foot there.
This new model will please fans with its various characteristic features of OMEGA’s legendary Speedmaster Moonwatch, the first watch to go to the Moon, such as the asymmetrical case or the famous dot over ninety on the tachymeter scale.
The Bioceramic MoonSwatch MISSION TO EARTHPHASE will be available at selected Swatch stores worldwide from 2nd November. As with the whole Bioceramic MoonSwatch Collection, only one watch can be purchased per person, per day and per store.
