Introducing the Seiko 5 Sports x Peanuts “Surfboard” Limited Edition
Friday - 19 May 2023
Seiko is always keen to celebrate the anniversaries of its many major milestones, the Seiko 5 Sports being one of them. To mark the 55th anniversary of the 5 Sports watch, the Japanese brand has launched a two-part limited edition series called Peanuts which pays homage to two iconic comic strips of the 20th century – Snoopy and Charlie Brown.
Written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, Peanuts is an American comic strip that is considered one of the most influential and popular in the world. It will remind many of the “lovable loser” – a nervous character that lacks self-confidence – a personality that much of the population can resonate with. The cartoon touched the hearts of children and adults alike with its psychologically complex humour and unique storylines depicting Charlie Brown, his friends, and his dog Snoopy. The Peanuts comic strip was a huge success from the moment the first strip was published in 1950. At the time of Schulz’s death in the year 2000, Peanuts was running in over 2,600 newspapers around the world. The original sketches of Snoopy were inspired by Spike – a childhood dog of Schulz.
For the release of the new Seiko 5 Sports x Peanuts “Surfboard” watch, the Japanese brand celebrates itself and the Peanuts comic strip as two icons that dominated during the 1950s and 1960s. The model denotes the brand’s playful and creative side, with original comic strip illustrations featured on its dial, caseback and presentation box.
Why the Seiko 5 Sports watch?
The birth of Seiko’s first sports watch in 1968 was a very important one. It stood for exceptional craftsmanship and a fantastic value-for-money design that could be utilised whilst on the go thanks to its solid case construction and impressive robustness. Despite the popularity of the 5 Sports watch over the decades, these watches from this Seiko line remain impressively affordable. The majority of the watches from this series are characterised by their legible day-date display located on the east side of the dial, yet the styles can vary from a simple three-hander to a pilot’s watch design, as well as dive and military style watches too. Many of the models are either powered by the Calibre 4R36 or 7S36. With a 100-meter water resistance, Seiko 5 Sports watches are perfect for individuals who are always on the go. These robust companions are also versatile enough to be paired with different attire depending on the situation, making this line one of the brand’s most diverse to date.
The new Seiko 5 Sports x Peanuts “Surfboard” Limited Edition watch
True to the design of the much-loved 5 Sports watch, the new Seiko Peanuts “Surfboard” Limited Edition watch offers the same 5 core features of the design; the day-date display, the automatic movement, the water resistance, the durable case and the recessed crown. The model measures a diameter of 38mm, constituting a compact design made from stainless steel that is topped with a piece of Hardlex glass. The drawings used on the design of the watch are taken from the same year as the launch of the Seiko 5 Sports watch design. At 9 o’clock, against a clean white dial, the image of Snoopy can be seen posing behind a surfboard – a motif that has featured in the comic strip itself. The surface of the surfboard has been emblazoned with the Seiko 5 Sports lettering and the image extends onto the presentation box for the watch itself. On the back of the model’s stainless steel case, another image of Snoopy riding the waves on his surfboard can be admired, along with the “Limited Edition” lettering and a reference to the watch’s 100-meter water resistance.
The dial of the new Seiko 5 Sports x Peanuts “Surfboard” Limited Edition watch is also adorned with central hour and minute hands that have been executed in the ‘Schulz’ font often used in the work of Peanuts creator Charles M.Schulz. These legible hands and the surrounding hour indexes characterised by pill and circular-shaped markers have been treated with a generous layer of Lumibrite to assist with timekeeping in the night or in dark conditions. At the 3 o’clock location, you get the day-date feature, accompanied by a splash of red seen in the needle-fine central seconds hand and framed by a sleek black-filled unidirectionally rotating bezel. This feature is ideal for measuring elapsed time by aligning the 12 o’clock marker with the minute hand to record 60-minute intervals.
Inside the durable stainless steel case of the new Seiko 5 Sports x Peanuts “Surfboard” Limited Edition watch is the Calibre 4R36 an automatic movement that can be manually wound if needed via the 3 o’clock screw-down crown stamped with the Seiko logo. The automatic engine provides a power reserve of 41 hours once fully wound. To complete its sporty yet elegant look, this limited edition Seiko watch from the 5 Sports collection secures to the wrist with a dark and light grey striped NATO strap and a stainless steel fastening stamped with the Seiko name. The watch is also exclusive to 8,900 pieces worldwide.
To learn more about the new Seiko 5 Sports x Peanuts “Surfboard” Limited Edition watch, you can call and speak to a member of our sales team today on 01335 453453.
