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 EARTHPHASEsports 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 colored 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 emphasize 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 mesmerizing view that has been captured in iconic images during various Apollo missions.
Earth photographed from the surface of the Moon by Apollo 17 Astronaut Jack Schmitt 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 gray markers, a newly created color. 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 November 2. As with the whole Bioceramic MoonSwatch Collection, only one watch can be purchased per person, per day and per store.
MISSION TO EARTHPHASE SO33M700
Case material: case, crown and pushers made of light gray Bioceramic
Case diameter: 42.00 mm
Case thickness: 13.75 mm
Lug-to-lug distance: 47.30 mm
Quartz movement: chronograph (seconds only) with a moon phase and patented earth phase indicator, both turning in opposite directions
Water resistance: 3 bar
Glass: box-shaped glass made from biosourced material and an “S” engraved in the center in reference to the Swatch logo
Dial: grainy gray with OMEGA X Swatch, Speedmaster and MoonSwatch logos; subdials, hands and hour markers coat-
ed with Grade A Super-LumiNova (green emission). Col-ored earth phase indicator and moon phase indicator with oversized moons with Super-LumiNova (white emission) and gray mask
Hands: hour, minute and tip of the chronograph seconds hand with light gray Grade A Super-LumiNova (green emission)
Bezel: made from Bioceramic with black tachymeter scale and light gray markers
Strap: black VELCRO strap with contrasting light gray topstitching and a Bioceramic loop
