Meet MoonSwatch #31 — The Mission To The Pink Moonphase
Not even a month ago, I wrote an article about the new Speedmaster MoonSwatch 1965. That was the 30th iteration of this collaboration between Swatch and Omega. Now we’ve got the next one, number 31, the Mission To The Pink Moonphase. Those who followed the press conference on Swatch Group’s annual results could have seen CEO Nick Hayek wearing this Mission to the Pink Moonphase before the launch. He “Daniel Craig’ed” it, you could say.
A tribute to April’s micromoon
The MoonSwatch is Hayek’s brainchild, and he is keen on keeping everyone on their toes for the next one. In this case, that’s the Mission to the Pink Moonphase, which will be available in selected stores starting April 1st. It is meant as a celestial tribute to April’s micromoon. This April’s Pink Moon may appear slightly smaller and dimmer than usual in the sky because it is at the farthest point in its orbit around our planet. That’s the opposite of what last year’s MoonSwatch Mission to the Super Blue Moonphase celebrated.
Pink secret
This new MoonSwatch is essentially the same but in a pink case and with a black and pink moonphase indicator on the dial. Swatch applied Super-LumiNova to the two moons on the disc for a wonderful effect in low-light conditions. When you use a UV light on the watch, the hidden words “Pink Moon” appear in pink.
Moonphase adjustment
The movement has a moonphase display that you can adjust through the crown and the pusher at 4 o’clock. As I explained in a previous article, after pulling the crown out to the third position, you can use the pusher to advance the moonphase disc. One press will advance this disc by an hour, a day, or continuously, depending on how long you keep the pusher engaged. This lets you set the lunar phase as precisely as you’d like, which is a nice feature.
A pulsometer bezel and a new detail
Like the Mission to the Super Blue Moonphase, the Mission to the Pink Moonphase has a pulsation scale on the bezel. This is a nod to vintage Speedmasters and the more modern 2016 Speedmaster CK2998 Limited Edition, which used this scale on their bezels.
Aside from the color, I have never seen a MoonSwatch with a symbol on one of the pushers. On the pusher at 2 o’clock, there’s a pink heart. This refers to the pulsometer bezel, which the wearer can use to measure one’s heart rate. But I am sure everyone is familiar with this scale by now. I think the heart on the pusher is a nice detail for a watch with a pulsation scale.
MoonSwatch Mission to the Pink Moonphase
Last month’s MoonSwatch 1965 was a neat edition. There were also some queues in front of the Swatch boutiques that sold it! However, I found it a bit close to the white-dial Moonwatch, and I think March was the wrong month to celebrate the story of the Speedmaster’s NASA flight qualification (as it was only qualified officially in June of 1965). Plus, in my humble opinion, that story belongs to Omega. But aside from that, the watch is a good looker. This Mission to the Pink Moonphase is a more fun and creative iteration of the MoonSwatch, which I think is exactly what Swatch should focus on.
The name that Swatch used for this watch, Mission to the Pink Moonphase, is debatable, but let’s just say it’s good that “Moonphase” is in the model’s name.
Free battery replacement for life (on all Swatches)
I noticed in the comments of our previous article that some seem to think the MoonSwatch’s battery can’t be replaced. Well, of course, it can be replaced. Just remove the battery cap and swap it out. Better yet, please take it to the nearest Swatch boutique. The folks there will do it for free. It’s part of Swatch’s “energy for life” program, which lets you hand in a Swatch from any year or date and get the battery replaced for it. It’s a great service.
The MoonSwatch Mission to the Pink Moonphase will be available in selected Swatch stores worldwide starting April 1st. The retail price is €315 / £270 / CHF 285 / US$310.
