It’s official: Speedmaster sales up 50% in the wake of the MoonSwatch collaboration

Zach Blass

There is little mystery about the seismic impact of the MoonSwatch on Swatch sales. The brand can simply not make enough of them, and despite grumblings about accessibility and lack of an online sales option, demand is still red hot. The bigger question that’s emerged is, what impact will the MoonSwatch have on sales for the other half of the dial – Omega? Well, now we know. The controversial collab seems to be a massive win for both big and little brother….

When the Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch debuted, it shook the watch world – so much so that the aftershock rippled right through into the mainstream. It was not just news within the watch community, it became a part of broader popular culture as well. Unfathomable and unprecedented queues formed around the world for a chance to buy one on opening day, and months later buyers are still clamoring to get their hands on one.

Many praised the collaboration, calling it a revolutionary move and a highly intriguing proposition. Others felt the move watered down the appeal of the actual Omega Speedmaster, that it was not a smart move for Omega as it cheapened their brand.

Everyone can give their two cents, but recently Swatch Group AG CEO Nick Hayek cleared the air with Bloomberg UK – finally answering the question: how did the MoonSwatch affect the sales of the actual Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch?

According to Bloomberg UK: “The Speedmaster Moonwatch model, which retails for about $7,000 and is lionized for being the first watch worn on the moon, increased sales in Omega stores by more than 50% since the launch of the $250 MoonSwatch in March, Swatch Group AG CEO Nick Hayek said in an interview at the company’s headquarters in Biel, Switzerland.”

In fact, Hayek revealed to Bloomberg UK that the sales of all Speedmaster models have “risen by double digits”. It also appears the Speedmaster collection is not the only product line that has seen greater interest. Brian Duffy, chief executive of Watches of Switzerland, told Bloomberg UK: What they did with the Swatch version of the Moonwatch was genius. It has undoubtedly positively impacted sales demand.”

It is clear that critics of the collaboration, who felt the move was bad business, need to put down their hate-orade. To raise the sales of all Speedmaster models by “double digits”, and the Moonwatch itself by more than 50%, is no small margin. Clearly the MoonSwatch has had a positive effect on Omega’s sales, proving the collaboration was a major win for both the Swatch and Omega brand.

As for the availability of the wildly popular MoonSwatch, buyers were dismayed to hear that the watch would not be sold online – especially those who do not live near a Swatch boutique. The good news, however, is that Hayek explained to Bloomberg UK that not only were MoonSwatch production lines ramped up, running 24/7 to increase product availability, but also that there are plans to add 25 locations to sell MoonSwatches in the coming month as well as 11 flexible “moving stores” that will travel around Europe.