Vintage & Auctions
Beyond the Hype: Omega & Sotheby’s Auction Special MoonSwatch “Suitcases” For Charity
The elusive MoonSwatch makes another splash. But this time, the story is less about consumer obsession and more about doing some good.
By Mike Espindle
Executive Editor
During the high hype days of the Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch hysteria, while not as unflaggingly dedicated as some of my co-workers, I found myself in Switzerland during that time and admit I did succumb to a degree.
The situation there was that, while full availability of all 11 models was not guaranteed, the endless queue-ups at local Swatch stores were less of an issue.
Wanting It All
Thus, accompanied by another interested colleague, I was able to visit a nearby store and secure my third favorite MoonSwatch easily and without any fuss or muss. I was satisfied, and my dignity was intact.
However, my colleague, who is more of a hardcore collector than I am, was having none of it. He did not want to “settle” for a model that was available; he wanted to buy all 11 versions RIGHT THEN. Plus, he demanded to know the price of the cool retail-window display suitcase that housed all the models. He wanted it all.
So, I spent an extra half-hour or so admiring my easy-to-come-by Mission to Saturn MoonSwatch while the crack Swiss Swatch store staff kindly denied my colleague the chance to fulfill his dream over and over again.
I don’t know if my ambitious colleague was involved in the recent “MoonSwatch Moonshine Gold” auction hosted by Sotheby’s, but it would have been right up his alley.
Getting It All, And Then Some
Held between February 12 and 24, this online charity auction offered up 11 of those self-same suitcases, each filled with 11 special versions of the Omega x Swatch collaborative watches, marking the first time the Mission to Moonshine models, each bearing a second hand coated in Moonshine Gold, are up for sale.
All told, the Sotheby’s online auction raised CHF 534,670 to benefit Omega’s long-term partner, Orbis International, an organization that fights avoidable blindness and vision loss across the globe.
President and CEO of OMEGA, Raynald Aeschlimann, said of the event: “This unique auction really captured the imagination of MoonSwatch fans around the world. We’re so thrilled that the proceeds can now go to Orbis. We believe whole-heartedly in their eye care mission, and we’re so pleased to have raised money as well as awareness for their work.”
To find out more about Omega, visit the brand’s website.
(Images © OMEGA)
The Incredibly True Story Of How I Got My MoonSwatch
By Rhonda Riche
, Editor-At-Large
I spent five months stalking Swatch boutiques in three countries across two continents and ended up buying a Venus out of the boot of a Fiat in Copenhagen.