Swatch is finally selling the MoonSwatch on its website, but…
Zach BlassVery accessible in price, but rather inaccessible at retail, during peak MoonSwatch mania many were left disappointed by the fact the MoonSwatch was strictly sold in Swatch boutiques. Depending on where someone lives, a Swatch store may not be nearby and by the time consumers would arrive at Swatch’s doorstep, they would likely be heartbroken upon hearing the news their desired MoonSwatch of choice was sold out. Watch consumers have begged Swatch to sell the MoonSwatch online, but the brand resisted, likely in a strategic effort to maintain hype and also avoid having to deal with bots and flippers flooding its systems with orders. Nonetheless, MoonSwatches are often found on the grey market for a premium. However, news broke that the MoonSwatch has finally become available on Swatch’s e-commerce website.
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Well… not exactly. Yes, Swatch is now selling the MoonSwatch on its e-commerce platform, but only in the United States and China at this time. This evolution is not only exclusive to two regions, but also four models – the Mission to the Moon, Mission to Mars, Mission to the Sun, and Mission on Earth. No statement has been provided by Swatch as to why the brand has limited this online rollout to the US and China and to these four particular MoonSwatch models. Some have speculated it is because these four models may be selling the least, but I doubt the Moon and Mars models are among the lowest in demand. If anything, I would think the opposite is more likely.
In order to purchase the MoonSwatch online, Swatch is trying to deter bots with the mandatory step of having an account you must log into when purchasing. Swatch also notes on each of the four product pages that, due to very high demand, the shipping of the product may be delayed. It will be interesting to see just how long it takes for an online MoonSwatch order to be delivered, and whether some of the four models will carry more delays than others. I predict the Mission to the Moon and Mission to Mars will be two highest in demand.
For those outside of the US and China thinking about trying to be creative with a VPN, a Swatch account does not require an address to be submitted. It’s only during the checkout process that you will need to supply a billing and shipping address. Interestingly, the “Country or Region” dropdown menu lists a full spectrum of international locales. Whether or not the order would be processed should an international address be used I cannot say for certain. But it may be possible, if you can access the Swatch US or Swatch China website, that you can place a workaround order.
It’s about time Swatch made the MoonSwatch available online, a long-standing request, but its current online exclusivity for the USA and China, which admittedly are the two largest watch-buying regions, will surely annoy international fans. Whether Swatch will expand the references available online and the regions they’re sold in remains to be seen. It also remains to be seen if online availability is as relevant, considering some find this news two years too late, wanting online access from the outset, and as a result developing MoonSwatch fatigue. But, better late than never? I suspect most will think so, at least in the United States and China.