The MoonSwatch Finally Gets the Snoopy Treatment
Welcome to Dialed In, Esquire's column bringing you horological happenings and the most essential news from the watch world.
Omega and Swatch are on an absolute tear lately. First we got the auction-only collection of "Mission to Moonshine Gold" MoonSwatches, which batched all 11 of the special watches into 11 exclusive briefcases—each dedicated to a city around the globe—that were put on the block by Sotheby's and raised more than $600K for charity. Then we got, at long last, the white-dial Moonwatch from Omega that Daniel Craig first wore with more than a touch of Bond-esque secrecy at an event in November of 2023. And now, we've got the first iteration of the MoonSwatch to feature Snoopy. It's kind of a big deal, folks.
If you don't understand exactly why it's a big deal, here's a brief primer. In 1968, Snoopy joined NASA. After a fire killed three astronauts in 1967, there was a renewed focus in the agency on safety. The mascot chosen for this effort—called the Manned Flight Awareness program at the time and now referred to as the Space Flight Awareness—was Snoopy, the beloved beagle from Peanuts. A NASA public affairs officer named Al Chop reached out to Peanuts creator Charles Shulz, who agreed to provide drawings free of charge. The Silver Snoopy Award, created in 1968 and given to NASA workers or contractors who contribute to the success and safety of spaceflight missions, quickly became one of the agency's most esteemed honors. It remains so to this day.
So, yeah. Astronauts love Snoopy. And watch fans love Snoopy, too. See, thanks to the Omega Speedmaster's crucial role in bringing the crew of Apollo 13 home safely, the watchmaker was awarded its own Silver Snoopy in 1970. In 2003, the brand finally released a limited-edition Speedy with Snoopy on the dial, followed by updated riffs for the 45th anniversary of the mission in 2015 and the 50th anniversary in 2020. They are, naturally, prized pieces for collectors.
And now they've got a little competition, because if you're in the market for a dog on a watch and willing to swap stainless steel for Swatch's proprietary bioceramic material, you can get the famous beagle—and a moonphase complication—on the MoonSwatch. The all-white iteration of the timepiece is the first time that Swatch has paired a moonphase with a chronograph, and available in select Swatch stores starting on March 26. It may be a bit of a task securing one for yourself, but it'll be a whole lot easier on your life and your wallet than trying to get one of those limited-editions from years past.
If you're extra excited about all of this and planning to line up in hopes of getting a Snoopy MoonSwatch early, good luck to you. Just remember to be kind to those around you and mindful of everyone's wellbeing. Safety is paramount, after all—and Snoopy's watching.
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