Well, if you wanted a year of amazing releases in the watch world, I think Omega and Swatch has just kicked off exactly what you want. This last week, Omega and Swatch have released 11 new watches in collaboration with one another designed after the famous Omega Speedmaster. And boy did the watch world get excited!

Omega and Swatch had been teasing those of us who have an interest in their brands about some sort of collaboration. There were whisperings of something coming out and there were even adds in the New York Times that read "It's time to change your Swatch," or "It's time to change your Omega." Finally, they publicly announced the 11 watches that they released. The concept is that the original Omega Speedmaster was involved in many space missions. The 11 watches that were released each have their own mission to a different planet.

The 11 pieces are all 42mm in diameter and the two companies went to great lengths to ensure the design of the case, dial and bezel all mimic the design of the Speedmaster. The case is not stainless steel like the original, but made of 2/3 ceramic and 1/3 bio-derived plastic from the seeds of a castor plant. The metal is known as bioceramic. The watches come on a variety of velcro straps, each resembling the strap that would be used if the wearer actually took a flight for their mission. Normally these are used to be worn over a flight suit as seen in many images of the original missions with the Speedmaster.

Strategically, the watches will be released in Swatch stores on March 26th. They will be selling for CHF 250, which is an incredible price for what one is getting. There have been comments about how it is diminishing the brand and its iconic watch. At the same time this is a wonderful opportunity to get more people wearing Omega Speedmasters. It may lead more people to research Omega, the Speedmaster and the history of the watches they produce.

The 11 watches are not limited editions, so they will be available in the future if you are not able to get to a Swatch store. Swatch also confirmed via Instagram that they will eventually be made available online.

Congratulations Swatch and Omega!

Enjoy!