Worthy addition or hyped up nonsense? Singapore luxury watch collectors' views on Omega x Swatch watches
Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch collection comes in 11 different colourways.
PHOTO: Instagram/Ronald Chew
PUBLISHED ONMarch 31, 2022 3:05 AMByAmierul RashidUnless you’ve been living under a rock the past week, you’d know the talk of the town has been around the launch of a brand new watch collection.
Last Saturday’s (March 26) release of the Omega x Swatch watches caused such a frenzy that a politician had to remind Singaporeans to keep a sense of perspective.
Now, the big question is whether the watch – known as the Bioceramic MoonSwatch – is worth your time?
'It’s an absolute no-brainer'
AsiaOne reached out to two luxury watch collectors in Singapore to understand how they felt about the saga and, more importantly, their views on the collaboration itself.
Local watch collector Ronald Chew felt the collaboration is one of the best he’s seen so far.
“They (Omega and Swatch) distilled all the hallmarks of Omega’s halo product into a Swatch product, at Swatch pricing,” Chew, who goes by @horologym on Instagram, added.
Swatch proudly label the Bioceramic MoonSwatch as their innovative take on the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch.
The watch retails at $372, far below the thousands of dollars you’d have to fork out to own an Omega watch.
According to prices listed on the Omega website, an entry-point Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch would set you back $7,150 while a top-end Moonwatch costs $66,350.
Chew explained why he felt the MoonSwatch is “an absolute no-brainer” at its price point.
“The attention to detail on the MoonSwatch is spot on. The DON (Dot Over Ninety) bezel, step dial, and the 'S' on the Hesalite crystal are the little details that purists look out for in their Speedmasters,” the personal trainer said.
Unsurprisingly, Chew was part of the helter-skelter outside the Swatch outlet at Ion Orchard on release day.
As for the saga of customers berating police officers, he thought it was unfortunate that some self-entitled individuals brought out the ugly side of things.
Chew didn’t manage to snag himself a MoonSwatch and described the experience as “hot, chaotic and frankly, unsafe”.
'Hyped up collection'
"The saga was quite hilarious," shared fellow luxury watch collectors, who go by Te11ingtime on Instagram.
They felt the MoonSwatch is a “hyped up collection” and would personally not “pay a premium for it”.
However, Tel11ingtime added: "I am happy that an established brand like Omega is collaborating with entry-level brands, to make an iconic watch like the Speedy more accessible to the masses and younger generation of watch collectors."
When asked if they were eyeing up a Moonswatch, Te11ingtime said they were looking forward to "getting a few colourways" but ultimately did not end up queuing on release day.
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After seeing such queues forming at both Swatch outlets on launch day, it won't be too surprising to see similar scenes when the MoonSwatch is restocked.
Ronald Chew and Te11ingtime have said their piece and while both are keen on owning a MoonSwatch, they understand that it isn't a limited edition watch.
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So maybe it's best to heed Shanmugam's advice after all: this isn't a matter of life and death.