A charity auction selling 11 MoonSwatch collectors’ cases has raised CHF 543,670 (£487,000) for Orbis International, an organisation that tackles avoidable blindness and vision loss around the world.
A 12-day online auction at Sotheby’s ended on Saturday for the box sets, which each contain all 11 Mission to Moonshine Gold watches.
Each case went live with an estimate of CHF 5,000 – 10,000 (£4,500 – £9,000), but sold for an average of CHF 50,000 (£44,790).
That is over CHF 4,100 (£3,673) per MoonSwatch.
Core collection MoonSwatches retail for just £220 today and are trading at around the £350 mark on the secondary market.
All eleven box sets are associated with a global city and home to a Swatch boutique: Sydney, Beijing, London, Paris, etc.
Each contains a golden monocle with the Omega x Swatch logo, and a one of a kind coin engraved with the three letter aviation code from their displayed city (such as JFK for New York).
Sotheby’s and Omega have not published final sold prices for each of the suitcases since the hammer fell.
Omega, which donated the cases, says 100% of the auction proceeds will be given to Orbis.
Through programmes including a Flying Eye Hospital, Orbis has provided eye care for millions of patients, while also training hundreds of thousands of eye care professionals in areas with the greatest need globally.
Raynald Aeschlimann, president and CEO of Omega, says the auction captured the imagination of MoonSwatch fans around the world. “We’re so thrilled that the proceeds can now go to Orbis. We believe whole-heartedly in their eye care mission, and we’re so pleased to have raised money as well as awareness for their work,” he adds.
Is a Snoopy MoonSwatch coming?
A new moon on February 26 passed without a new MoonSwatch launch, but Swatch has hinted fans will not have long to wait for an anticipated Snoopy edition.
Instead of another new moon premiere, Swatch shared a second teaser video on its Instagram suggesting a two-year anniversary event was on its way.
Comments on the Instagram post immediately jumped to the obvious conclusion that a new Snoopy-themed version of MoonSwatch would arrive on March 26, exactly two years since the first model arrived and triggered mass hysteria around Swatch stores that stocked the first edition.
