Swatch introduces a new MoonSwatch, but also teases a Bioceramic Wittnauer 235T and Rolex 6238
Borna Bošnjak- 60 years after passing NASA flight qualification, Swatch and Omega celebrate this success with the new MoonSwatch 1965.
- The dial carries a special, lumed tribute to this anniversary, with the tops of the chrono counters reading “19”, “65”, and “60”.
- This non-limited release launches on March 1st for US$270, but is also being displayed alongside two curious Bioceramic-cased contemporaries of that 1965 Speedmaster.
Omega’s famous Speedmaster was an important chronograph even with its inception in 1957, but achieved truly legendary status as it accompanied the first Moon landing in 1969. One important step in that journey happened in 1965, when the reference ST105.003 was submitted to NASA for testing to ensure its spacefaring capabilities. I don’t need to tell you the results – what happened in 1969 is certainly proof enough – but it’s this pre-Moonwatch Speedy’s success that Swatch and Omega are celebrating with the new MoonSwatch 1965. On March 1st of that year, the aforementioned Speedmaster passed the eleven tests carried out by NASA, and 60 years later, we’re getting a new MoonSwatch with a couple of nods to that historical day, and a potential look into Swatch’s collaborative future with other Swatch Group brands.
View this post on Instagram
New MoonSwatch 1965 based on Omega ST105.003
Even though the Speedmaster the new 1965 is referencing came with a black dial, Swatch curiously opted for a grey-toned MoonSwatch. It’s a neat match with the colour of the 42mm Bioceramic case, and almost gives it a prototype-like vibe when combined with the equally desaturated Velcro strap. It also vaguely resembles the super-popular white dial Speedmaster that was released last year.
For vintage Omega purists, there are plenty of subtle references to the reference 105.003. For starters, the Omega branding is now its vintage style and the logo is applied, and the handset corresponds to the original Speedy.
The most obvious reference to the historic milestone can be seen once the lights go off, and the chrono sub-dials light up with the year – 1965 – and the number 60 referencing the anniversary. As a result, the quartz chronograph movement received some changes, too. Both the 2 o’clock and 10 o’clock counter make, as Swatch refers to it, a “lap of honour” after 64 minutes, and only then will the hour totaliser begin to index the hours, while the minute counter will continue to count 65 minutes each time. Leave the chronograph running long enough, and the animation will repeat at the top of every 64th minute.
A Bioceramic Wittnauer 235T, and the “….X brand” ref. 6238
But the new greyscale MoonSwatch isn’t the only interesting thing with this new release. We popped down to our Melbourne Swatch boutique, and got a first look at two other watches flanking the new MoonSwatch 1965.
Though Swatch has confirmed to us that the only novelty you’ll actually be able to buy is the new MoonSwatch (indeed, a closer look reveals that these two other watches are completely non-functional with chronograph pushers and crowns part of the case mould), this is an exciting development in the MoonSwatch saga.
One is a Bioceramic Wittnauer 235T – basically a rebadged Longines for the American market proposed to NASA, and the other is simply named the “reference 6238” by the “….X brand”.
That’s of course a nod to the Rolex ref. 6238, a pre-Daytona chronograph produced in the 1960s and originally powered by a Valjoux 72 movement, just like the Wittnauer in question.
The exciting opportunity that this opens up is vintage references being refreshed in Bioceramic. We’ve already seen it happen with the Swatch x Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms, so why not branch out? Naturally, this would mean falling within the Swatch Group, but there’s a whole lot of Longines, Breguet, and Tissot pieces of yesteryear that would be valid candidates for the next collaboration, and it looks like there’s a possibility of now defunct brands being reinvigorated in Bioceramic form.
Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch 1965 pricing and availability
The Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch 1965 is a non-limited release, and will be available from select Swatch stores starting March 1st 2025. Price: US$270, A$435
| Brand | Swatch x Omega |
| Model | MoonSwatch 1965 |
| Reference | SO33M106 |
| Case Dimensions | 42mm (D) x 13.25mm (T) x 47.3mm (LTL) |
| Case material | Bioceramic |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Biosourced (plastic) |
| Dial | White |
| Bracelet and strap | Grey Velcro, Bioceramic hardware |
| Movement | ETA quartz chronograph movement |
| Power Reserve | ~3 years |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, running seconds, chronograph |
| Availability | Non-limited, March 1st from select Swatch stores |
| Price | US$270 A$435 |