I always knew one MoonSwatch would never be enough. Having picked up a Mission to Pluto in 2024, I figured my next purchase would be a Mission to Jupiter with an orange strap, or maybe the Moon model that mostly closely resembles the OMEGA Speedmaster.
But no. When Swatch announced the MoonSwatch 1965 in February this year, I knew I had to have one. I declared it my new favourite before I’d even seen one in person, thanks to its bold white dial, subtly reworked sub-dial markings, and vintage OMEGA logo.
The popularity of OMEGA’s own white-dial Speedmaster, still in limited supply at that point, also helped sway me. But primarily it was the boldness of the 1965 and how, despite not being a limited edition, or only available in one shop, it stood apart from the rest of the MoonSwatch range.
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(Image credit: Future / Alistair Charlton)
Fast-forward a few weeks, and I called into the Swatch shop on Oxford Street in London, asked about the 1965, and made the purchase. From previous MoonSwatch experience – and because I love buying new watch straps – I knew the included velcro strap would be a letdown. And, although this one seemed to match the colour of the case better than that of my Mission to Pluto, I went online the same day and picked up a NATO-style strap with grey and black stripes.
I’d flirted with the idea of picking up a genuine OMEGA strap, like those seen on the brand’s recent James Bond Seamaster, but couldn’t justify the cost. A leather rally-style strap was also on my radar but, again, spending a three-figure sum on a strap for a watch that costs £240 didn’t sit right. So I headed to WatchGecko and spent about £20 on the striped NATO in these photos.
(Image credit: Future / Alistair Charlton)
And you know what? I couldn’t be happier. I think I’ve created my perfect MoonSwatch. The grey of the strap is an almost exact match for the watch’s Bioceramic case, while the black of the strap perfectly ties in with the black tachymeter and dial markings. The 1965 remains on my wrist every day for over a month, my other watches practically forgotten about, regardless of outfit or occasion.
Granted, a striped and fairly bulky NATO strap doesn’t work everywhere, and the way the excess strap folds back on itself makes my already-slim wrists look even smaller. But it’s otherwise, to my eyes at least, the perfect combo. I love the subtle vintage aesthetic and of course the 1965, the blue glowing lume, and of course the story behind it. How it nods at the watch that, 60 years ago, earned NASA flight qualification ahead of becoming standard-issue to all Apollo astronauts.
(Image credit: Future / Alistair Charlton)
Yes, it’s still a plastic quartz Swatch that is arguably overpriced and is unlikely to survive a significant impact.
But it lets me recall the OMEGA Moonwatch story without spending thousands on an actual Speedmaster. It also does so while not taking itself too seriously, and while being a watch that lends itself to lots of different strap designs. I’ll surely pick up that perforated leather ‘rally’ strap at some point.
For now, my collection has a new favourite. It’s among the cheapest and least technically impressive watches I own, yet it’s the one that, for now, makes me smile the most.
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