Collaboration watches have been a staple of the industry for a long time. Whether it’s Rolex and Wimbledon, Breitling and Bentley or TAG Heuer and Formula 1, watch brands find inspiration in the passions and hobbies of their wearers. So, what does that say about all these cartoon collaborations we’ve been seeing?
One of the very first watches I had as a child was an unbranded Mickey Mouse watch. It was pure plastic and brightly decorated with Mickey’s face at the centre of the dial. Sadly, I no longer have it, but ever since, any sort of watch with a cartoon-inspired design reminds me of that cheap childhood accessory. But it seems cartoon watches aren’t just for kids anymore. We’re seeing an abundance of watch brands, and luxury ones at that, collaborating with some of our favourite animations.
Affordable Cartoon Watches
There are cartoon watches at almost every price point and interestingly, Peanuts watches featuring everyone’s favourite cartoon dog seem to be in abundance. On the more affordable end of the spectrum, you have well-known names like Fossil and Timex placing animated friends on dials. Timex have launched several models created in collaboration with Peanuts (aka the American comic strip with Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the gang) and even Seiko, a typically more serious brand, have created some 5 Sports models featuring the faithful beagle.
A little further up the price ladder, Bamford London have a handful of models in their line-up where Snoopy can be seen front and centre as the star of the show, though those will set you back around £2000.
Perhaps the most hyped Snoopy watches of all though are the recent additions to the infamous MoonSwatch line. In a somewhat understated cameo, a sleepy Snoopy can be found within the authentic Speedmaster 2 o’clock subdial on both new references. Released to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the model, once again the spark was ignited as watch enthusiasts, space nerds and fans of the little beagle all clamoured to get their hands on a piece of MoonSwatch legacy.
Snoopy isn't the only one getting star treatment though...
Beloved Disney characters make regular appearances in the watch world too. Most recently we saw G-SHOCK team up with Pixar on a collection inspired by Inside Out 2 and the funky little Tamagotchi-esque BABY-G watches can also be transformed into bag charms and fashion accessories when attached to the supplied clip, strap and keyring case. Offered in colours to match the characters in the film, the more traditional GA-2100 range also saw a couple of quirky Disney renditions added to the line-up.
Fossil also have an impressive number of affordable cartoon watches in their portfolio. Many of them continue the Disney theme with dials adorned with Mickey the Mouse, Goofy and Donald Duck, but there have also been Barbie, Star Wars and Pokémon editions. And I can’t leave out the rather unusual Wonka-themed limited edition that has a strap covered in fruit... there I was thinking Willy Wonka made chocolate?
Spinnaker x Spongebob Squarepants
Proving that the ongoing cartoon trend is more than just a passing craze, Spinnaker recently announced a quartet of cartoon watches are soon to be released in honour of the 25 th anniversary of Nickelodeon’s Spongebob Squarepants. The cartoon sponge who, quite famously, lives in a pineapple under the sea, has made his way into Spinnaker’s Hass Automatic line-up alongside his friends Patrick, Squidward and Mr. Krabs. Presented with some rather ‘go hard or go home’ design principals, the four new models feature multi-layered dials with luminous cartoon character art as well as a playful silicone strap option decorated in colours attributed to the relevant character. How’s that for honouring your inner child?
The Oris ‘Kermit’
Not all cartoon watches are “loud” though, and dare I say a little garish at times. Whilst bigger is better can be a lot of fun, we have to applaud the few watchmakers that have mastered the art of subtlety when it comes to collaboration watches, and in the realm of cartoons, we can’t not mention Oris. Arguably one of the biggest watch releases of 2023 was the Oris ProPilot X Kermit watch, and what an unexpected release it was.
Oris rather ingeniously partnered up with Disney’s The Muppets to create a watch inspired by our favourite bright green frog. They created a dial in lime green and utilised the date window at 6 o’clock to show Kermit’s face. But his face didn’t appear every day; just on the first day of the month aka “Kermit Day”. Every other day, this watch just seems like a cool, green-dialled timepiece. It’s almost a secret between the watch and the wearer that this design holds cartoon nostalgia. Out of all the watches mentioned here, this is the only cartoon watch I have ever considered purchasing.
Luxury Cartoon Watches
There’s plenty of pricier cartoon collaboration watches out there too. Reservoir have created several limited edition Popeye watches that retail around the £4,000 mark. Times that price by five and you have a specific model by Bulgari. The company revived an original Gérald Genta concept featuring Mickey Mouse. Fun fact: Gérald Genta, the legendary designer behind the Patek Philippe Nautilus and the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, was one of the first to combine cartoons with timepieces.
The Bulgari Arena Bi-Retrograde Mickey Mouse Football watch shows Mickey kicking around a football on a mother of pearl dial. Cleverly, his arm functions as a minute hand while the jumping hours is displayed in a large round aperture at 10 o’clock. Meanwhile, a retrograde date display is added at the bottom.
So why exactly are we seeing more cartoon watches?
I think it’s simply down to nostalgia. There are several industries that have seen a noticeable trend for all things retro. 80’s fashion is making a comeback and even mid-century furniture is becoming popular in the interior space. So, it fares that retro design is going to make its way into watches too.
Watchmaking is also seen as quite a serious art form so it’s fun to see designers being quirky with colours and styles. While cartoon watches aren’t necessarily for me, especially those I consider loud and “in your face”, I can appreciate that seeing beloved characters on a watch’s dial will bring joy to others and hey, there’s nothing wrong with honouring your inner child.
I have no doubt we’re going to be seeing more cartoon collaborations over the next year or so, and despite what I’ve just said, I’m rather excited to see what’s to come. Do you have any cartoon characters you’d like to see make an appearance on a timepiece? Or are cartoon watches not for you? Let me know in the comments below.
