A pairing with Blancpain is in the works. This will no doubt stir up buying madness. Start queuing now?

A Swatch image as seen on social media. Photo: swatch/Instagram

ot everyone who wanted the Moonswatch of last year is able to get one. Not even now. But Swatch is close to releasing its next collaboration. In a series of cryptic blue advertisements in some of the world’s major newspapers (surprisingly, also in The Straits Times), Swatch teased the collaboration with a composite image of maps that showed more sea than land—in fact, the world’s five oceans were seen, which led some watch collectors to speculate that the timepiece would be a diver’s watch, even a chronograph. (These are unlikely to be banned in Malaysia, but who’d know?) With Omega, Swatch created the Moonswatch based on planets. Could this far more earthly—although marine-leaning—offerings mean they are much more within reach?

That Blancpain is next in line is not quite surprising (although we had thought there would be Moonswatch II). It is, after all, a brand under the Swatch Group (it was welcomed into the conglomerate’s stable of names in 1992). They would, therefore, choose from inside. Blancpain, in fact, may carry more cachet, even if they are not as famous as Omega. It appeals from within the sphere of luxury timepieces. It is the “oldest surviving watchmaking brand in the world”, as many timepiece publications tout. And it has horological heft. Blancpain was founded in 1735, way before Stamford Raffles landed on our island, by Jehan-Jacques Blancpain. They are thought to be the first to release a dive watch, way before Omega, even Rolex. With the images of the oceans still vivid, be ready for watches that can be used for journeys into where corals live. And, of course, the queue—hopefully, minus the brawls.

Erratum: we previously wrote that the ad did not appear in The Straits Times. This is incorrect, and is amended.

The watches are expected to hit stores on 9 September (Sat). Swatch this space for more information