For the Speedmaster’s crucial role in the Apollo 13 mission’s safe landing in 1970, OMEGA received NASA’s ‘Silver Snoopy Award’ — In beagle years, that’s almost four centuries ago. Since this recognition, Snoopy has made innumerable appearances on the legendary Speedmaster’s dial. However, in March 2022, as the Speedmaster received a ‘Swatch’ reinterpretation, the watch world went gaga over a battery-powered, vibrantly-hued Bioceramic chronograph titled the ‘MoonSwatch’. Beyond its initial hype, the Omega x Swatch’s MoonSwatch quickly evolved from collectible to a class of its own, and with 2024’s ‘Mission to the Moonphase: Full Moon’ edition, we finally saw Snoopy’s paw prints on the MoonSwatch’s dial.
As Omega x Swatch’s latest chapter in this lunar escapade, ‘Mission to Earthphase – Moonshine Gold’ marks the return of Snoopy and Woodstock — basking in the glow of the Sturgeon Full Moon and packed with a tiny yet potent dose of Omega gold.
A Tale of Snoopy & Safety
If you scroll through NASA’s spaceflight archives, only one astronaut has landed on the moon, visited the International Space Station, and blasted into orbit on a space shuttle. Also, in 2022, this particular astronaut was aboard the Artemis 1, which travelled an astronomical 1.4 million miles, setting a world record. Any guesses? It’s Snoopy.
This beloved beagle from the comic strip Peanuts has been championing space safety for over 55 years. Snoopy joined NASA in 1968 as a mascot for the ‘Manned Flight Awareness’ or ‘Space Flight Awareness’ program, following the previous year’s tragic Apollo 1 launchpad fire. NASA’s astronauts and crew members were presented with ‘Silver Snoopy Awards’ for valuable contributions to mission safety, receiving a dancing Snoopy silver pin. Snoopy, being a hugely popular Peanuts character with a reputation for daring exploits, NASA saw the beagle as a fitting mascot for their space safety programs.
Apollo 13: Tragedy & Triumph
In the 1970 Apollo 13 mission, when the spacecraft suffered a fatal disaster, it was an OMEGA Speedmaster that saved its crew and helped maneuver their safe return. Nearly 56 hours into the mission and 320,000 miles away from home, the crew reported an engine tank explosion alongside an electric power loss. Famously reporting the incident with “Houston, we have a problem”.
Aborting the lunar landing mission, they turned back home — however, to safely re-enter Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft needed to precisely accelerate and decelerate. With timekeeping playing a critical role here, the astronauts instinctively ditched their digital gear and went acoustic, using their Speedmaster. For these critical fourteen seconds of strategic re-entry, Omega received NASA’s prestigious “Silver Snoopy Award”. This recognition globally commemorates Omega’s unique contributions to space exploration and the Speedmaster’s role in saving Apollo 13.
To The Moon (And Back)
When the MoonSwatch was unveiled in 2022, its inaugural collection was inspired by Omega’s heritage of space exploration and the majestic celestial bodies of our solar system (planets, sun, moon, and Pluto). Revolutionary, provocative, and visionary, the MoonSwatch was the Speedmaster reborn with Swatch’s magnum opus ingredient: Bioceramic. Omega x Swatch’s next chapter was the ‘Mission to the Moonphase’, unveiled in 2023 and inspired by the pale mystique and elegance of the moon. Featuring a moonphase complication, we even saw a ‘Full Moon’ special edition, graced by our beloved space beagle, Snoopy. Experimenting with hues, Omega x Swatch also progressively unveiled the ‘Mission on Earth’ capsule. However, their most recent and important chapter is the ‘Mission to Earthphase’.
What’s an ‘Earthphase’?
While a moonphase complication displays the moon’s sunlit portion as observed from Earth, an ‘Earthphase’ indicates the Earth’s sunlit portion as observed from the moon. Interestingly, as the Earth and moon orbit in tandem, the Earthphase complication moves in retrograde (counterclockwise), while the moonphase progresses forward (clockwise). Simply put, it mirrors the moon’s 29.5-day cycle, only in reverse. Swatch debuted this innovative complication last year, to spotlight Earth’s ever-changing portrait for lunar observers.
Mission To Earthphase – Moonshine Gold: What’s New?
Swatch’s new MoonSwatch is a timekeeping love letter to Omega and Snoopy’s legacy of cosmic exploration and space safety. Aptly titled ‘Mission to Earthphase – Moonshine Gold’, it features a cartoon depiction of Snoopy and Woodstock gazing at the Earth from their lunar rendezvous. The Peanuts duo resides at 10 o’clock, accompanying the Earthphase complication, which mirrors the moonphase complication at two o’clock.
Against the backdrop of a dark navy 42-millimetre Bioceramic case, is a sparkling aventurine-esque finishing featured on the bezel, minute tracks, hands, and backgrounds of the moonphase/Earthphase discs. This creates an appearance of ‘space dust’ being sprinkled all over this novelty.
‘Moonshine Gold’, created for 2019’s Apollo 11 anniversary Speedmaster, is Omega’s proprietary 18-carat yellow gold alloy — offering a cooler, long-lasting glimmer than traditional yellow gold. The moonphase’s two rotating discs are cast of this special ingredient. Upon close inspection, you’ll notice that one moon is caught in a fishing net. This commemorates the Sturgeon Full Moon, a Native American auspicious time when the sturgeon fish is most abundantly caught. The second moon features a few golden lunar craters and a cute Snoopy paw print.
Oh! There’s more! The Moonshine gold-draped MoonSwatch as a Snoopy secret message hiding in plain sight. Observable only under UV light, a tiny text bubble appears near Snoopy and Woodstock, saying “I beat everybody” — a cheeky reference to the US winning the Space Race. Also, the Earthphase’s water bodies are UV reactive, along with the Grade A Super-LumiNova hour indexes and hands. Running Quartz inside, it offers chronograph functionality and water resistance of 3 bars. All this is navy rubber strapped with VELCRO® closure and a Bioceramic loop. Don’t miss the lunar surface texturing on the inside of the strap.
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Archives