The Swatch x Peanuts collection unveils fun range of Snoopy and Charlie Brown watches

Mike Christensen

It seems pretty ironic that Charles Monroe Schulz, the American cartoonist and creator of Peanuts – probably the most popular and influential comic strip in history – should be so indifferent to the name. You could go so far as to say he had an allergic reaction to Peanuts, once saying: “If someone asks me what I do, I always say ‘I draw that comic strip with Snoopy in it, Charlie Brown and his dog’.”

Thankfully though, it didn’t stop Schulz from soldering on for 50 years, with the $30m-$40m a year he earned from merchandise perhaps helping to soften the blow. Having been translated into 21 languages and read in more than 75 countries, it’s no surprise you can buy Charlie Brown goods here and a bit of Snoopy merch there, because a mixture of the childish characters and an adult
sense of humour ensures that Peanuts has a universal appeal that transcends age groups like few other cartoons.

In the past, much to the delight of Peanuts fans, Snoopy’s recognisable face has popped up on watches for Omega. Timex and Bamford Watch Department, so Swatch’s latest Peanuts (sorry Mr Schulz) collaboration will arguably be the most welcomed collection yet, because of its  accessible price point.

Indeed, during a year where we were finally afforded Bond’s No Time to Die, this watch collection offers six pieces, each with their own “Time to” do something more positive, be it “care”, “laugh”, “play”, “love”, “stand up” or “dream” – which is a sentiment I for one am a big fan of.

Featuring the whole gang, every watch in the collection is water-resistant to three bar and offers a quartz movement, a 41mm case made of a bio-sourced material and a silicone strap. The design is where each piece differentiates from one another, with Schulz’s archival drawings of the characters injecting a unique personality to the dials and straps. I know which one I like most and it’s already in my basket but here’s a rundown on each option.

Time to laugh… Hee Hee Hee

Hard not to smile when you see a happy-looking Snoopy peering back at you on the dial, after all, laughter is a medicine the Peanuts crew have been prescribing for more than half a century now. With Woodstock perched above the dial on the strap, it’s cuteness personified and that’s without mentioning the yellow hands, with the hour hand blessed with a little dog bowl on it to keep you hungry for more.

Time to dream… Grande Bracchetto

There’s a lot more going on with this monochrome piece as Snoopy busies himself with all manner of tasks and activities on the strap, only to take a deserving rest by his kennel on the white dial. The red and white, as well as the national flag make the nods to Swatch’s Swiss heritage clear to see, and I’m a fan of the chunky yellow hands as they add a bit of masculinity to the watch next to
the more subtle second hand.

Time to play… First Base

Definitely more appealing to a younger wrist this one, the dark blue case nicely contrasts with the white strap that has the entire gang lining up along it – Franklin, Lucy and Linus van Pelt, Peppermint Patty, Sally and Charlie Brown, you name it, they are on there. A literal explosion of joy, fun and games all over the dial is reflected by the multiple colours displayed on the dial and strap, while another youthful detail is the baseball and baseball glove print on the watch hands.

Time to care… Pow Wow

Depicted as a lovable loser, Charlie Brown is one of the great American archetypes so this one’s exclusively for all his fans out there. The Pow Wow design has a graphic of Charlie cruising around on his skateboard and is yellow with flashes of black to complement his trademark zigzag-patterned shirt. The dial is yellow, the strap has many iterations of the Peanuts protagonist doing all sorts and the transparent case adds an element of sophistication, meaning it could very easily pass as an everyday work watch for a young professional.

Time to love… Smak!

Another piece that feels more like a first watch for a young watch enthusiast, unless of course the multi-coloured intricate comic strip design all over the case and strap appeals to uber-fans of the cartoon, as the watch quite literally plays home to an entire comic strip, with all the key players from the gang included. The multi-coloured hour and minute hands only serve to add more evidence to this perhaps being better suited to a younger watch wearer.

Time to stand up… Klunk!

Just like the other five pieces, this one wears really comfortably on the wrist – which is testament to the silicone strap and slimness of the model. Lucy is the star of the show here, and dubbed something of an opinionated girl it’s duly a bold-looking watch with the striking red case and strap a real statement of intent. It’s also one of only two piece to feature any numerals on the
dial, nicely positioned around Lucy as she plays on the swing.

Pricing and availability:

All Swatch x Peanuts watches in the collection range are available now from $130-$150 AUD.

For more information on these pieces head to Swatch.

Made in partnership with Swatch. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.