Moonswatch an unmitigated success

Wow, that’s impressive!

Yep. We can bash it all we want, it’s still a plus for Swatch,

Amazing!  I can't think of another consumer product in recent memory that had as much hype as this and that continues to generate this level of excitement for so long after initial launch!

Hell, I bought a regular Swatch for myself because of all the talk about the brand. I even bought 2 more for others for Christmas! I might get another for my future wife when we honeymoon in Switzerland, as a fun memento.

They’re fun, cheap watches that have lost popularity over time, but the launch of the Moonswatch definitely brought attention back to the brand. 100% worked on me! Casio/G-Shock was the only fun brand I thought of before the Moonswatch launch.

It's had the opposite effect on me. I used to be a Swatch fan. Not so much now. I do have one from 7 or 8 years ago. But that one is the last I'll be purchasing. Just so disappointed with the way the manipulated the release.

I can think of several other such products but they are usually on the list of controlled substances.

This is what my city's Apple store looks like any given Saturday. I only know because it's next to H&M. 

As I might have said before: Whatever gets people interested in watches is fine with me. 

I can't believe this after the stunt they pulled, and the bad press (even though technically there is no such thing as bad press). I mean I'd buy one but I'm not waiting in line for one. It's not that serious for a plastic watch in its first year of production and littered with issues. 

My response when I see people waiting for this thing...

Go buy a Casio, Timex, Seiko etc. So many better watches imho.

Still!

I'm planning on visiting a Swatch store when I'm back in London next month to get a replacement strap and consider getting a new "normal" Swatch. 

Hopefully I can just walk in the store as I'm not interested in trying to get a moonswatch.

I live in San Francisco and was in our swatch store a couple weeks ago with my girlfriend getting new batteries out into a couple old swatches. Every single other person was buying a moonswatch. I have bought 2 there on separate occasions (one as a Christmas gift) and I think they’re great. I’d be very curious to see internal swatch sales numbers.

As best as one can gather from press reports, they didn't so much manipulate the release as lose control of it. I don't think anyone, and by all accounts including Swatch, could have predicted lines in the thousands at every Swatch store around the globe. Their handling of the aftermath was less than graceful, but they were scrambling. Call me pollyanna, though I'm usually cynical, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on this one. 

Yeah non moonswatch people can just walk in - have no fear

It was actually a total PR success project. Big hype with ridiculously small supply met with huge demand promoted Omega and Swatch. Stale watch brand meets disposable watch brand to produce unicorns. Few in the wild and people wanting more toys. A 15 buck movement in a plastic case hugely overpriced. It was never about selling the watches, rather it was about selling brand hype. They never cared if anyone got one. 

My fear is that this will help Speedmaster sales and recognition. 

Looking on eBay in the U.K. there is maybe £50 in it if you manage to avoid the seller fees. So maybe there is a bit of that. More likely it’s people seeing they can finally pick one up - especially for christmas gifts.

I might have got another colour if the queue was 1-2 people. But it was a bloody freezing day so didnt bother.

That thought does make me realise there is a “catch them all” thing going on too. People will want multiple colours or the specific colour they are after. So will keep going back.

That’s crazy, people queuing up for Uniqlo.  I do have some of their stuff but doubt I would wait to get in.  Still, I’d line up for some nice heat tech undies way b4 I’d ever consider lining up for a swatch! 😜

I did go in to uniqlo actually for some gloves!

I just bought two more straps for my Uranus !! ohhh yeah!! Trying some delugs elastic straps …

No benefit of doubt given from myself.

It's a shame as I really liked Omega as a brand and aspired to own a couple of their watch's one day. They are off the menu now too.

I would like to add that I too still don't have a Moonswatch. This may be because I'm not really interested and have not pursued one at all, but the point remains.

I've started to question whether it's really getting people into watches, or whether it's largely just the crowd who think fashion watches are awesome too (and don't think of watches as anything but a fashion accessory), mesmerised by the OMEGA on the dial... "Cos OMEGA, that's a big brand, right? And if I have it on my wrist, that will be really fashionable and look good on my Insta..." who are really driving the bulk of the sales. It's not really a sustainable crowd, long-term, unless you keep releasing cheapo versions of brand-name products. The only reason they're still hanging around now, is the drip feed of product.

I look at the queue and can't help thinking of pointless satellites orbiting around Uranus?

That fragile plastic watch is not for me...but each to their own!

I was in the new Swatch store at Battersea Power Station last weekend. The flight case was in there and the staff said they are selling them in there too. Didn’t mention numbers or deliveries etc. Seems like it may be being pushed out to more stores

Lol.  Ohmega what have you been up to.  Still trying to overcharge for your watches?

Thats ok I'm not missing noting.

Swatch produced them and slapped Omega on them. Omega quality was nowhere to be seen and so they cheapen the brand.

That´s not a success at all. Most people that were already customers of Omega or Swatch are disliking a plastic watch with the Omega logo slapped on it. The new buyers won´t be happy with the broken pushers... 

The only winner is Swatch because of the hype and the flippers, but in a long term view, i would say it damaged the name of Swatch and Omega more than the hype created money.

For Omega it´s just sad. Even if it hypes the Moonwatch a little bit. 

Every person in that line is a freshly created grey market dealer selling Swatches for a small premium to people who don’t live within a hundred miles of a Swatch store.

If Swatch put the MoonSwatch on their website, those lines will disappear overnight. 

I guess there’s a much wider pool of scalpers (and to be fair normal customers) in London..