When Mother Brands Unite: Lessons from MoonSwatch and Beyond

On March 26, 2022, a groundbreaking event unfolded in the Swiss watch industry. The launch of the MoonSwatch series, a pioneering collaboration between Omega and Swatch, both part of the Swatch Group, sparked a global sensation. People queued outside Swatch stores in major cities, such as London, New York, Singapore, and Tokyo, with some even camping overnight to secure one of the vibrant watches. This moment marked a leap forward for an industry often perceived as exclusive and resistant to change.

The MoonSwatch collection took Omega's famous Speedmaster Moonwatch, which astronauts wore on Apollo missions, and gave it a new look using Swatch's easy-to-understand design language and Bioceramic materials. The MoonSwatch was significantly cheaper than Omega's original Speedmaster, making it a more accessible luxury item that younger people who aspired to be like the stars could connect with a piece of horological history.

From Swatch and Omega to Swatch and Blancpain

The Swatch Group revisited this strategy in 2023 with Blancpain x Swatch, a move that followed the success of MoonSwatch. This partnership created playful versions of Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms dive watch, featuring bright, ocean-inspired colors to promote marine conservation. The launch, while not as monumental as MoonSwatch, was a continuation of the Swatch Group's experiment with cross-pollination within its brand portfolio. It brought the art of heritage watchmaking closer to the hearts of everyday people.

The Strategic Effects

These partnerships bring up important questions about the long-term value of a brand:

• Omega: The Speedmaster's reputation stays strong, but will its aura fade if people keep seeing it in cheap new versions? Or will MoonSwatch be a gateway drug that makes younger buyers more loyal as they eventually buy a full Speedmaster?

• Blancpain: The Swatch partnership was a bold move away from their 'no quartz, no compromise' stance. Purists were concerned that the brand would lose its value, but it also introduced Blancpain to a new generation. Can a maison, a term used to describe a high-end fashion house with a strong history and unique identity, afford to try out too many things without losing its uniqueness?

  Similarities Across Industries

• This model isn't just for watches. Many big fashion companies use their brand umbrella in innovative ways:

• LVMH: Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Fendi often work together while keeping their own unique brand identities. Collaborations like Louis Vuitton x Supreme (2017) gave luxury streetwear credibility without harming Vuitton's reputation.

• Kering: Gucci has worked with Adidas, Balenciaga, and The North Face, which shows how powerful it is for groups to come up with new ideas together. These partnerships help legacy brands remain relevant to Gen Z without compromising their exclusivity.

• Richemont: Cartier and Montblanc have kept their brands separate, but group storytelling projects make Richemont's luxury positioning even stronger.

• H&M and Zara are examples of fast fashion brands that often work with designers (H&M x Karl Lagerfeld, Balmain, Mugler) to make exclusivity available to everyone, creating a buzz like MoonSwatch.

What are the potential long-term effects of such collaborations?

The long-term effects of collaborations within a brand depend on balance:

• Too much accessibility could make something less exclusive. • Too little could make it less culturally relevant.

If handled properly, MoonSwatch could be a way for people to enter the luxury watch market. It could be their first taste that makes them want to buy Omega's or Blancpain's higher-end watches. However, if used excessively, the strategy could render heritage less valuable and blur brand lines. The long-term effects of these collaborations include a potential shift in the perception of luxury, changes in consumer behavior, and the redefinition of brand value within the watch industry.

The Lesson for Students Who Want to Work in Fashion Marketing

The MoonSwatch phenomenon is a prime example of how two brands can collaborate under a unified brand umbrella. It demonstrates how heritage brands can attract new customers by carefully making their products more accessible, while also highlighting the challenges of striking a balance between accessibility and exclusivity. Fashion marketers of the future will need to know how to deal with these conflicts. In the Fashion Marketing & Management program at Raffles Jakarta, we teach students how to balance innovation, heritage, and market demands in a rapidly evolving global industry. This is the kind of brand management and consumer behavior analysis we do.

Arman POUREISA

Marketing Manager

Business Management Lecturer

Raffles Jakarta

References

Hodinkee. (2025, June 4). Introducing: Blancpain × Swatch Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms “Green Abyss”. Hodinkee. https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/introducing-blancpain-x-swatch-bioceramic-scuba-fifty-fathom

Hypebeast. (2025, August). Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch Mission to Earthphase Moonshine Gold release info. Hypebeast. https://hypebeast.com/2025/8/omega-x-swatch-moonswatch-mission-to-earthphase-moonshine-gold-release-info

Teddy Baldassarre. (2025, January). Blancpain x Swatch — Pink Ocean edition. Teddy Baldassarre Watches. https://teddybaldassarre.com/blogs/watches/blancpain-swatch

Wired. (2024, June 12). Swatch drops three new Earth-based MoonSwatches—we want two of them. Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/swatch-drops-three-new-earth-based-moonswatches-we-want-two-of-them/

El País. (2025, August 27). La última locura de moda: largas colas para comprar un reloj que solo se vende en las noches de luna llena. El País. https://elpais.com/eps/2025-08-27/la-ultima-locura-de-moda-largas-colas-para-comprar-un-reloj-que-solo-se-vende-en-las-noches-de-luna-llena.html