Every MoonSwatch released so far, ranked from best to worst

Jamie Weiss

The Swatch x Omega Bioceramic MoonSwatch has been nothing short of a cultural phenomenon. Not only has it changed the fortunes of both Swatch and Omega – the former generating a level of excitement around watches we haven’t seen in years and the latter seeing sales of the original Speedmaster boosted by 50% – but it’s also changed the way we talk about and conceive watches. Initially launched in 11 different colourways or “Missions” (one for each of the 8 planets plus the Sun, Moon and Pluto), the MoonSwatch collection has seen several variants join the collection since its launch in March 2022, some as limited releases and some as permanent additions to the range. We thought we’d have a go at a completely subjective activity, and one that will no doubt create some debate, and rank them all: every MoonSwatch released so far, ranked from best to worst.

#1: Mission to Mars

This choice might be the one that generates the most controversy, but at least among the Time+Tide team, there’s a consensus that the Mission to Mars is the best MoonSwatch released thus far. Part of the original collection of 11, the Mission to Mars stands out thanks to its bold combination of a bright red case and white dial, bezel and strap – but also because its design and colour were inspired by the highly collectible “Alaska Project” Speedmaster, boasting rocket-shaped sub-dial hands that pay homage to that iconic model, plus luminous sub-dials.

#2: Mission to Moonphase (a.k.a. the Snoopy MoonSwatch)

Just as many watch fans had written off the MoonSwatch as a one-trick pony, Swatch dropped this, the Mission to Moonphase, in March this year. This model introduced a few firsts for the collection: the first fully white model; the first non-chronograph complication in a MoonSwatch, namely a moonphase display; as well as the first MoonSwatch to feature Snoopy, NASA’s official safety mascot and a character that’s graced some of the most collectible Speedmasters of all time. I was the first journalist in the world to get hands-on with this model, and I have to say, it’s my personal favourite of all the MoonSwatches.

#3: Mission to the Moon

The Mission to the Moon is the most faithful Swatch reinterpretation of the original Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch, and for that, it completes the podium in our rankings. It’s not quite as visually arresting as our first and second-place finishers, but it has the most uncontroversial design – and there’s something to be said about that.

#4: Mission to the Super Blue Moonphase

You might accuse us of recency bias here, but the Mission to the Super Blue Moonphase is already a contender for one of the best MoonSwatches yet. Featuring a blue and silver panda colour scheme that’s quite evocative of the Omega Speedmaster “Silver Snoopy Award” 50th Anniversary that came out in 2020, it features a moonphase sans Snoopy and a pulsometer bezel rather than a tachymeter bezel, making it perhaps the most unique take on the MoonSwatch formula.

#5: Mission to the Moonphase New Moon (a.k.a. the Black Snoopy)

Just as the all-white colourway of the initial Snoopy MoonSwatch catches the eye, the stealthy all-black look of the Mission to the Moonphase New Moon ranks highly in our estimation. The 90-degree rotated orientation and translucent central portion of its moonphase display also provide nice points of differentiation.

#6: Mission to Moonshine Gold

This is another pick that I anticipate some raised eyebrows over, but I’m actually a fan of the initial Mission to Moonshine Gold. Boasting a seconds hand coated in Omega’s proprietary Moonshine Gold and purportedly only produced during a full moon, this subtly luxe take on the MoonSwatch might be a bit gimmicky (hence why I’ve rated it below the normal Mission to the Moon) but I think it looks very cool. The difficulty of obtaining one – with it only being made available in select cities in March and April 2023 – adds to its allure.

#7: Mission to Jupiter

The appealing sand brown and orange colour scheme of the Mission to Jupiter is cool enough in isolation, but it’s made even cooler thanks to its nod to the limited edition Speedy Tuesday “Ultraman” Speedmaster from 2018, a real enthusiast darling. The Mission on Earth Lava also references the Ultraman, but the Jupiter is a prettier watch – more on that Lava model in a bit…

#8: Mission to Uranus

While the juvenile among us still chuckle at the mention of Uranus, this MoonSwatch’s pastel look, which capitalises on the current craze for Tiffany blue watches, is quite appealing. While the name may prove a barrier to some still, the complete coverage of pastel blue makes this one feel a little too childish for a man in his mid-20s to be wearing.

#9: Mission to the Sun

Similarly to the Mission to Uranus, the Mission to the Sun edges out other MoonSwatch models thanks to its extremely vibrant yellow look. It’s the least subtle of all the MoonSwatches, and there’s something that doesn’t quite make sense about a mission to the Sun (it’s not exactly a planet you can land on…) But it’s still pretty cool.

#10: Mission to Neptune

Aesthetically, I think the Mission to Neptune looks quite nice, but it has to lose points in any ranking because of its early teething issues. At launch, some examples of the Neptune were found to leave inky blue marks on owners’ wrists, prompting Swatch to pull it from production and redevelop its blue Bioceramic compound. At the time, this briefly led Neptunes to be the most sought-after MoonSwatches, with prices on the aftermarket hitting four figures. Swatch has since solved the issue but the Neptune still carries a premium over other models on the secondary market – which is strange considering it’s the one that smudges.

#11: Mission to Mercury

The Mission to Mercury is very similar to the Mission to the Moon, just with a bit of a gorpcore edge. I don’t actually dislike its colour scheme but it’s fairly drab, in a sort of mil-spec way.

#12: Mission to Saturn

The Mission to Saturn gets some points for having a more unique design than other MoonSwatch variants – namely the depiction of Saturn on the 6 o’clock sub-dial – but its otherwise somewhat muted colour scheme doesn’t particularly move the needle. Roger Smith is a fan, though.

#13: Mission to Pluto

Is Pluto even a planet? What I do know is that of this same-y trio – the Mercury, the Saturn and the Pluto – the Mission to Pluto is probably the least inspiring. Maybe that’s some sort of extended metaphor?

#14: Mission on Earth

Of course, this is an entirely subjective list, but I think the Mission on Earth is where we shift from personal preferences for colour to bad design. Conceptually, the Mission on Earth (similarly to the Mission to the Sun or Mission to Pluto) makes the least sense out of the MoonSwatch “Missions”. We’re already on Earth! I also think this combo of light green and dark blue is unappealing and hard to style.

#15: Mission on Earth Lava, Polar Lights & Desert

I’m lumping this year’s Mission on Earth releases together because I think they suffer from the same conceptual issue as the original Mission on Earth. The sparkly aventurine-style dial of the Polar Lights is kind of cool, and I like how the sub-dial design references the Speedmaster Alaska II and III projects, but I think these were models that nobody was asking for. “MoonSwatch fatigue” has well and truly set in: when we took the pulse of the Time+Tide community on Instagram ahead of this subcollection’s launch with a poll, a majority of poll respondents responded negatively. They simply don’t bring enough to the table, unlike the Snoopy MoonSwatch variants.

#16: Mission to Venus

The Mission to Venus might be more unique than some other MoonSwatches – featuring a unique bezel design and oval sub-dials that mimic recently-released bejewelled Speedmaster 38mm models – but unique does not equal pretty. I’m normally a fan of pink watches but this dusty pink is just not that lovely. The planet Venus is actually a yellowy-white rather than pink: it feels like Swatch just associated Venus with femininity (Venus, of course, being the Ancient Roman goddess of love) and decided a pink watch made sense. It’s the “shrink it and pink it” of MoonSwatches and that’s why I’m not a fan.

Shared last: all the Moonshine Gold variants

While I’m personally a fan of the normal Mission to Moonshine Gold, the 9 Moonshine Gold variants released from May to December 2023 are (for me at least) the worst MoonSwatch variants of them all. In my opinion, Swatch really jumped the shark with these Moonshine Gold models: not only do I think most of these look rubbish (although I think August’s Blue Moon and October’s CK 2998-3 FAP tribute are kinda cool), but they really felt like cash grabs; like Swatch wringing as much hype as they could out of the MoonSwatch. I think Swatch has redeemed itself somewhat in 2024 with the Moonphase models, but these Moonshine Gold variants have left a bad taste in many collectors’ mouths.