Swatch Introduces Lottery System for Limited-Edition Gold MoonSwatch
Following chaotic releases, Swatch and Omega are limiting the 1,969-piece gold watch to an online lottery, pricing it at approximately $620 based on 1969 gold values.
Swatch and Omega have released the 'Mission to the Moon 1969', a limited-edition MoonSwatch featuring 11 grams of 18K Moonshine Gold sourced from vintage spare parts. The watch is limited to 1,969 numbered pieces and retails for approximately $620. To manage demand and avoid previous launch chaos, Swatch is using an online lottery system called the Electronic Swatch Timepiece Application (ESTA).
The 11 grams of 18K Moonshine Gold used in the dial, hands, crown, and pushers are sourced from old Omega spare parts melted down in the company’s own foundry, dating from around 1969. The retail price of ~$620 is based on the cost of 11 grams of 18K gold on July 21, 1969 (when it cost $11), rather than current market rates.
The ESTA application consists of 32 questions and is compared to the US Electronic System for Travel Authorisation. Applicants must submit their ESTA by July 21 at 5:59 pm Eastern time (11:59 pm CEST). Only 1,969 applicants will receive approval to purchase the watch online and collect it from a Swatch store.
Swatch has not disclosed the specific criteria or method for selecting the 1,969 approved applicants. This release follows the "nightmare" launch of the Audemars Piguet x Swatch Royal Pop in May, which caused global chaos in Swatch stores. The Royal Pop launch was itself a repeat of the frenzy surrounding the original MoonSwatch launch four years prior.
Experts had previously suggested that a lottery or application system should have been implemented for the Royal Pop release to manage demand. The watch commemorates the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 21, 1969. Previous special edition MoonSwatches featured only a small amount of gold, whereas this model features significant gold components.
