Swatch dropped another moon phase-equipped MoonSwatch today.
The latest model is called the Mission to Earthphase and comes in the black and gray colorway in the standard 42 mm x 13.75 mm (47.3 mm lug-to-lug) bioceramic (plastic) MoonSwatch case — the same as all existing models use.
A quartz movement drives hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph seconds, and moonphase and Earthphase (new) displays.
“Just like the Bioceramic MoonSwatch MISSION TO THE MOONPHASE watches, the MISSION TO EARTHPHASE sports a moon phase on the subdial at two o’clock. The celestial body changes based on its cycles, which can be observed using the two-Moon disc and mask (northern and southern hemispheres).
As for the earth phase, looking at the dial at ten o’clock, we can admire the movements of our planet as seen from the Moon. The patented Earthphase is colored to pay tribute to the diversity and beauty of the blue planet. Clouds are also visible, along with the contrast between oceans, forests, and deserts. Adding an otherworldly touch, the oceans are coated with UV ink (blue emission) visible only in UV light.
To emphasize this enchanting view of the Moon facing the Earth, the craters of the moon have been created using digital printing. The watch’s dial also features a unique graining that resembles lunar dust, further enhancing its resemblance to the Moon.
How do these two elements, lunar and terrestrial, fit together? The moon phase shows how the Moon appears when seen from Earth. The earth phase shows how the Earth appears when seen from the Moon. The length of a moon phase and an earth phase are the same, 29.5 days. But the cycles are inversely related. So, when there’s a Full Moon, we have a New Earth. And when there’s a New Moon, we have a Full Earth. This is why the Earthphase turns counterclockwise and in the opposite direction to the Moon. This is a kind of poetic reinterpretation of the retrograde function featured in some high-end watches.”
Unlike the Snoopy MoonSwatches or Mission to the Super Blue Moonphase, the new Earthphase display replaces what was once the chronograph 60-minute counter, so while you gain an interesting new function, you lose a rather important element, making the chronograph only good for recording times of up to 60-seconds, which underscores the playful nature of the MoonSwatch in general.
The retail price is $325. Learn more at Swatch.
Photo by Swatch.
