Me, busy, in a small, city apartment, sipping a proportionally much smaller espresso in a too-large-cup, all while steadily working away in preparation for the Watches & Wonders fair only a few days away. Then, in a moment that seems like ages ago, the world of perfect replica watches was on fire.
There was no feeling quite like it. Early pictures rolled in and then some press information and then hands-on from someone with early access. I’m not sure if anyone believed it at first, but it was all real, and then, not long after, complete mania. Roger Ruegger, Editor-in-Chief for WatchTime, noted at the time how it felt like a top super clone Omega Swatch mania of the ’80s in the early years of the brand, with lines for blocks stretching in cities across the globe, with everyone— from hardcore watch enthusiasts to hypebeasts to everyday people— taking their turn in those early sidewalk vigils hoping for a chance to buy what seemed like a luxury fake Omega Speedmaster for little more than $200 and a bit of time.
In a way, it felt like all the rules of the traditionally conservative watch industry were tossed out the window, and a new, glorious era had dawned. It was the Wild West and a bright new morning, it was chaos and beauty, it was everything and nothing— it was the cheap replica Omega X Swatch Moonswatch.
As the dust has settled on the launch, more and more people have been able to obtain the UK Swiss copy watches, and some post-hysteria questions have been raised about their general quality. Notably, Adrian Barker, who runs a popular watch-focused YouTube account and directs Bark & Jack, a digital watch accessories shop, posed an interesting point after owning one for a few months, that is, most people when they first saw the Moonswatch figured it was an extremely affordable 1:1 fake Omega, when it fact it seems as though its just a really expensive Swatch.
Questions of quality aside, it remains that the UK AAA quality replica Omega Moonswatch’s debut and subsequent sale (and then resale) quickly became one of the most exciting moments of the year in the industry, and certainly one of the most memorable. For myself, I’ve waited on countless lines in at least five different cities over the course of nine months looking to secure a “Mission to Jupiter,” and have still come up short. At this point it’s become something of a quest for myself to find and buy one of these high quality fake watches at retail. Here’s to next year.