Sotheby’s is holding an online auction offering 11 suitcases filled with all 11 Omega x Swatch “Mission to Moonshine Gold” timepieces, with all proceeds going to nonprofit Orbis International.
New York—There’s a special charitable watch auction heading to Sotheby’s this month.
From Feb. 12-24, the next full moon, the auction house will host an online sale in partnership with Omega, offering 11 “MoonSwatch Moonshine Gold” suitcases, each filled with all 11 Omega x Swatch Mission to Moonshine Gold timepieces.
The original MoonSwatch collection by Omega and Swatch, two brands owned by Swatch Group, made headlines in March 2022, drawing huge crowds and long lines for its watches.
The models were inspired by the colors of space and the planets and pay tribute to the Omega Speedmaster design but in Swatch’s more affordable bioceramic plastic case.
Last year, the brand launched “Mission to Moonshine Gold” versions, debuting 11 watches featuring a seconds hand coated in 18-karat “Moonshine” gold, an in-house alloy of yellow gold.
Each of the Moonshine Gold hands have their own special detail, said Omega, like a strawberry pattern for the Strawberry Moon in July and a flower pattern for the Flower Moon in May.
There’s also a lollipop design, a throwback to the Speedmaster CK2998 watch from 1961.
“This is the very first time that these rare models are offered together in one set, and the first time that the special suitcase is available to buy, giving fans the chance to own a truly unique compilation,” said Omega.
When the line first launched in 2022, Swatch featured closed suitcases in its window displays, recalled Hodinkee, and now most Swatch stores will have a briefcase of MoonSwatch models, but the case is not for sale.
The suitcases up for auction are unique, with each one holding a one-of-a-kind coin engraved with the 3-letter aviation code for its displayed city, like HKG for Hong Kong. That code for that particular city is also engraved on the side of each watch in the suitcase.
Each suitcase is unique, featuring a different aviation code for 11 cities. This suitcase holds a “JFK” engraved coin for New York.
The suitcases also contain a golden monocle with the Omega x Swatch logo.
All of the auction proceeds will be given to Orbis International, a nonprofit that works to prevent avoidable blindness and vision loss around the world.
“Orbis’ work is especially valuable for children, allowing many of them to see their parents, the moon, and the stars for the very first time,” said Omega, who has been partnering with the charity since 2011.
Prior to the auction, the 11 suitcases will go on display from Feb. 1-11 at 11 Omega stores in cities around the world, including Zurich, Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing, New York, London, Milan, Paris, and Sydney.
