May 21st, 2024 | Words and photography by DAHTT
Surf's up.
Impressions of this 38mm Seiko Sports "Snoopy".
Is it just me, or do you ever find yourself trying to "convert" people to your hobbies? Maybe it's because I get so much joy from watches, I want others to be able to experience it too. Or maybe I'm just broken beyond repair!
Recently I found myself showing a non watch enthusiast friend lots of watches to see if there were any he liked. Initially it was just out of curiosity. I was interested to know what appeals to the uninitiated. Would they like the same things us enthusiasts like?
I showed my friend a variety of watches from Rolex to Timex and everything in-between. GMT's, moon-phases, chronographs, G-shocks and Grand Seiko's. Nothing struck a chord, that is until he saw the Seiko 5 Sports "Snoopy" dial.
To this day I have no idea why that's the watch he immediately gravitated towards and he seems unable to explain it too. I set about tracking one down which as it turned out was not an easy task. There seemed to be very few listed for sale, Seiko having produced 8900 - quite a limited run by Seiko's standards. There seemed to be even fewer here in the UK and many were listed way above RRP. However I did eventually track one down.
I've handled the latest Seiko 5 Sports line before, an orange dial 40mm example. Generally speaking I like them. When compared to the legendary SKX there are of course compromises, but there are huge improvements too. The wide array of colours and limited editions available leans more into accessible fun watch than serious professional diver, but I'm not a professional diver so the compromises never bothered me too much.
Immediately upon removing the Snoopy from its cartoon illustrated box, I was surprised. I hadn't realised it wasn't the usual 40mm, but a more compact 38mm. If I'd known that before purchasing it, it might have worried me. Would the 2mm reduction in size translate, or would the smaller size be at odds with the robust, purposeful architecture? However I needn't have worried at all because it anything I found I actually preferred the more subtle size. The shrinkage results in a more unassuming, less serious and dare I say - cooler feel than the chunkier 40mm variant.
Now I love a serious dive watch. My Tudor Pelagos is one of my most loved watches, but there is something charmingly playful about the Snoopy. The combination of that cartooned dial with the smaller size creates a cheeky, almost jovial experience. The illustration by the way is a Schulz original from 1963, not just some recent doodle cooked up for a collaboration.
Beyond the dial and the size though, when you really start to pay attention, you realise there are more fun details that make this watch feel really special. The crown is signed with a paw print, the numerals on the bezel are in the original Schulz cartoon font, and the indices and hands have been designed to reflect the monochromatic outline of those early hand drawn cartoons.
Some of those decisions make the watch less legible, less practical. If you think that's a problem, then you've sort of missed the point. This isn't meant to be a practical watch. It has one purpose - to make you smile.
I would never have given this watch a second glance. I'm grateful to my friend for his different taste though, because experiencing this watch forced me to look at these little contraptions differently. Less critically. Less seriously. Gifting it to my friend seemed to make him smile. That's a powerful thing. To my enthusiast eyes a Patek might be a far superior watch, but it wouldn't have made my friend happy in the same way at all.
I'm always happy when something shifts my perspective. It helps to reassure me that my mind hasn't yet reached an age where it's lost elasticity.
This watch was not at all my cup of tea, but I came away smiling, thinking actually all said and done, that thing is pretty cool after all.