Watches | OMEGA
11 MoonSwatch Moonshine Gold Suitcases - To Be Auctioned at Sotheby's by OMEGA for Orbis
| 2024-02-03 |     |
From February 12 - 24, OMEGA will auction 11 MoonSwatch Moonshine Gold suitcases through Sotheby’s, each containing all of the 11 OMEGA x Swatch “Mission to Moonshine Gold” timepieces. 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. 100% of the auction proceeds will be given to OMEGA’s long-term partner, Orbis International, who fight avoidable blindness and vision loss around the world.
Before the auction concludes on February 24th, the 11 “Mission to Moonshine Gold” suitcases will go on display at 11 OMEGA Boutiques around the world from February 1st to 11th, including Boutiques in Zurich, Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing, New York, London, Milan, Paris, and Sydney. Visitors are encouraged to drop by and set their eyes on the collection being offered.
Orbis’s work is especially valuable for children, allowing many of them to see their parents, the moon, and the stars for the very first time. Through its programs and on board the Flying Eye Hospital, Orbis has provided care for millions of patients, while also training eye care professionals in areas with the greatest need globally. OMEGA has supported Orbis since 2011 and this upcoming auction will highlight the brand’s ongoing commitment to the cause.
The original MoonSwatch collection by OMEGA x Swatch made headlines in March 2022 when it was released to critical acclaim and high demand. Produced in revolutionary BIOCERAMIC, the 11 models drew their colourful inspiration from space and the planets, while also paying tribute to the legendary OMEGA Speedmaster design.
Throughout the months of 2023, the collection was given a radiant twist – in the form of the “Mission to Moonshine Gold” versions. These 11 watches each feature a seconds hand coated in 18K MoonshineTM Gold – a distinctive alloy created in-house at OMEGA that offers a more subtle and long-lasting form of yellow gold. Each of the MoonshineTM Gold hands also reveal their own special detail, such as a strawberry pattern for the Strawberry Moon in July, a flower pattern for the Flower Moon in May, and even a lollipop design that follows the Speedmaster CK2998 watch from 1961.
The suitcases themselves are truly unique, as they contain a golden monocle with the OMEGA x Swatch logo, and a one-of-a-kind coin, engraved with the 3-letter aviation code from their displayed city (such as HKG for Hong Kong). This same code will be engraved on the side of all watches within the suitcase for that particular city.
The auction will be hosted by Sotheby’s and accessible globally online at Sothebys.com where the bidding will start on February 12th and end on February 24th- the next full moon. It’s a space- inspired series that will create excitement across the planet.
OMEGA & ORBIS
Since 2011, OMEGA has been a proud supporter of Orbis International, a global eye care non-profit that has been a leader in the fight against avoidable blindness and vision loss for over four decades. Founded in 1982, Orbis mentors, trains, and inspires entire local eye care teams – from health workers in rural clinics to eye surgeons in urban centres – so they can work together to save and restore vision in their communities, ensuring no one has to face a life of avoidable blindness or vision loss. Working in collaboration with local partners, including hospitals, universities, government agencies, and ministries of health, Orbis provides hands-on ophthalmology training, strengthens healthcare infrastructure, and advocates for the prioritization of eye health on public health agendas.
Orbis also operates the world’s only Flying Eye Hospital, a fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on board an MD-10 aircraft; an award-winning telemedicine platform, Cybersight; and runs programs in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
The partnership with OMEGA began with an insightful documentary called Through Their Eyes, and followed OMEGA brand ambassador Daniel Craig on his visit to the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital in Mongolia. The film proved to be such an effective tool in raising awareness of Orbis International’s sight-saving work, that a new documentary, The Hospital in the Sky, was produced in 2015, this time featuring long-time OMEGA brand ambassador Cindy Crawford, who visited the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital with her daughter in Peru.
As well as raising awareness through film and advertising, OMEGA supports Orbis in several other ways, including the provision of teddy bears to young patients and the donation of vital funds.