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The release brings a once-exclusive collaboration to the masses.

Swatch just released a new model starring the lovable dog from the timeless world of Charles M. Schultz, whose relatable characters have the collective imagination for decades. Following the Apollo 1 disaster, NASA made Snoopy the mascot for the Manned Flight Awareness program. His image later made its way into the silver lapel pins awarded to NASA employees and contractors for their contributions to flight safety and mission success. One year after Apollo 1, the Omega Speedmaster landed on the Moon. The Moonwatch later helped Apollo 13 astronauts avert imminent disaster when an oxygen tank burst; astronauts used their Speedmasters to time the engine burns necessary to redirect the spacecraft back to Earth.

The history of Snoopy and the Moonwatch collided in 1970 when NASA awarded Omega the Silver Snoopy Award for its contributions to space exploration. Omega has honored this relationship before by launching three highly successful but difficult-to-obtain "Silver Snoopy" Award models. The new release continues that tradition, this time offering the iconic watch and character in an accessible, $310 package.

The Case

The new model shares most of the dimensions of previous MoonSwatches, measuring 42mm across and 47.3mm from lug to lug. Due to the added complication, the height saw a 0.5mm increase to 13.75mm. The 30m of water resistance, acrylic crystal, Velcro strap, and dot-over-90 bezel also remain constant. The case is completely made of white Bioceramic, Swatch's proprietary mix of ceramic and plastic. The battery cover on the caseback is adorned with an image of the moon marked by a Snoopy paw print.

The Dial

The star of the show is of course the dial. The hands and hour markers both feature Grade A Super-LumiNova. The text and hands are black to provide contrast against the white dial. Most importantly, Snoopy and his bird companion Woodstock lay atop crescent moons in the moonphase disc at two o'clock. Under UV light, the clouds reveal a hidden message: "I can't sleep without a night light!" The quote was plucked from a Peanuts comic in which Snoopy uses the moon as a night light.

Closing Thoughts

With one million units sold in 2022 alone, the MoonSwatch was a genius marketing move. The models generated a significant increase in Omega Speedmaster sales as well. While the quality of the actual watches was dubious, the releases made the Speedmaster design and Omega brand accessible. Riding the wave of the MoonSwatch's success, Swatch released several "Mission to Moonshine Gold" editions. Next came the Scuba Fifty Fathoms, a collaboration with Blancpain. Due to several marketing blunders, that model fell short of the success of its precursor. Swatch seems to have righted the ship with the new Mission to the Moonphase; propelled by the nostalgia for Snoopy, the enduring appeal of the Moonwatch, and the continued success of the MoonSwatch, the Snoopy MoonSwatch is destined to succeed.