Why It’s Notable: Quite possibly the most dramatic event in products this year, a collaboration between sister brands Swatch and perfect replica Omega UK broke the watch industry’s unwritten rules and became an unprecedented sensation.
The Big Picture: There are hyped collab products, and then there’s the MoonSwatch. The lines and mobbed stores at its launch might seem reminiscent of some sneaker or Apple or Supreme drop, but the Swatch x Omega collaboration is different for a number of reasons. It was controversial, to say the least, to make a quartz copy (of sorts) of the iconic 1:1 fake Omega Speedmaster watch rendered in plastic (of sorts), marketed with official luxury fake Omega approval and branding and sold for $260. It’s the kind of thing that simply doesn’t occur in the watch industry.

Fans were excited, of course, but the reception was far beyond anything seen before in high quality replica watches. Though not a limited edition, limited stock and hyper demand fed into a loop of desire and unavailability, leading to the kind of inflated market usually reserved for the likes of sought-after prestige watches from Rolex and Patek Philippe. The AAA quality fake Omega MoonSwatch also stood out from other hyped collabs for offering a downmarket version of a familiar luxury product — just the opposite of the established formula.

Aside from its audacious concept, the Swiss made replica Omega MoonSwatch isn’t merely an exercise in branding: it serves to highlight Swatch’s hybrid plastic-and-ceramic material called Bioceramic. Watch brands from Chanel to Blancpain and Omega super clone for sale (not to mention Apple) charge a significant premium for the traditional ceramic as a luxury material, and Bioceramic offers similar properties of lightness and scratch resistance. Its soft texture forms the same 42mm dimensions and basic design as the mechanical chronograph NASA astronauts famously took to the moon.

The high quality fake Omega MoonSwatch remains distinguishable at a glance from the Speedmaster by the layout of its subdials, as well as some wildly colorful iterations among the available 11 models inspired by various celestial bodies in the solar system. Each is packed with subtle details that only hardcore watch collectors are bound to notice, but which also make for fun discoveries for the uninitiated.

Perhaps the most stunning feat? The cheap copy Omega MoonSwatch captured the attention and hearts of watch collectors just as much as it did the wider populace.