I’ve written in the past about Undone watches, we’ve reviewed their Aqua, Urban Vintage Skipper, and Tropical Amazon models . These are the folks who make top-shelf timepieces at middle-of-the-road prices, and they are about to release a new collectible limited edition watch.
The Undone Snoopy Starlight is set to launch this July 17, you can click here to sign up for one of these limited edition timepieces.
The Snoopy Starlight utilizes a Seiko mecha-quartz movement, which is more accurate than true mechanical movements, and costs significantly less. The downside is that they don’t have the solid feel of a mechanical action, and instead move with the smooth, constant action of a quartz watch. The VK64 action on this watch is no exception. It’s as accurate and reliable as they come.
So what makes the Snoopy Starlight special? Here’s what I found from my early access research.
The Inspiration
The inspiration for the Snoopy Starlight lies in the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 10 mission. While everyone remembers Apollo 11, which arrived at the moon on July 20th, 1969, fewer people remember Apollo 10. It was the “dress rehearsal” for the moon landing, and included a practice run where the command module and lunar module separated for a few orbits, then rejoined.
By now you’re probably wondering what in the world this has to do with a Snoopy watch.
The connection here is that the call sign for the Apollo 10 Lunar Module was “Snoopy”, while the Command Module was called “Charlie Brown”. NASA took full advantage of the tie-in, and even hired Peanuts creator Charles Schulz to create artwork for the mission.
In this spirit, Undone has created a series of limited edition watches featuring Charlie Brown, Lucy, Snoopy, and Pig Pen in space-themed costumes. Needless to say, Lucy is mission commander, but the Snoopy Starlight watch commemorates both the lunar module and everyone’s favorite cartoon beagle.
Snoopy stands between 9 o’clock and the center of the clock face, smiling confidently in his space helmet and carrying an oxygen tank. He’s at the center of a small secondary dial that displays seconds for the stopwatch function. To the right, a matching secondary dial – sans Snoopy – displays seconds for the stopwatch.
Under the center of the watch, embossed red and white lettering reads “Apollo X, Lunar Mission, 16:49:00 UTC, May 18, 1969”. The background is a deep midnight blue, and appears blank in the daylight. At night, however, lume accents in the sky light up as stars, and Snoopy also illuminates, bringing the watch to life.
A plain numeric date display rounds out the face, counting off the days in a small box just above 6 o’clock.
The Snoopy Details
If I haven’t made it clear already, I love the look of this watch. It’s beautiful, and it’s collectible. But what about the design and the engineering?
I’ve already mentioned the Seiko VK64 movement, which is a highly accurate and reasonably priced movement.
The rest of the specs are also the same as you’ll see on the Urban collection, which serves as the basis for this design. This includes a wide, 40mm diameter, which is easy to read in any conditions, thanks to its large size and the glow in the dark hands and hash marks.
This watch is also fairly thick, at just over 12mm in height. You’ll definitely know you’re wearing it, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The anodized aluminum body isn’t just thick and chunky; it’s dent and scratch resistant, durable enough to maintain integrity even under intense abuse.
The Extras
When you buy the Snoopy Starlight Limited Edition, you’re not just getting the watch. You’re also getting a collector’s tin for storage, and a paracord watch band. This is in addition to the classic leather watch band that comes pre-attached, so you have both formal and outdoor versions.
How to Get One
This is a limited edition watch. The Snoopy Starlight design, in particular, is only getting a 300-unit run. As a result, you’re almost certainly not going to find it in any stores.
The best way to get one is through the sign up page on Undone’s website. You can create your desired Undone Urban Vintage watch using their online customizer, but the Starlight doesn’t appear to be an option most likely because it’s limited edition .
Conclusion
As you can see, the Snoopy Starlight Limited Edition is a truly unique timepiece. While it’s not a truly top-of-the-line mechanical watch, it’s highly accurate, much more than any so-called “smart” watch. It’s also not nearly as expensive as many designer watches, so you’re not talking about a major investment.
Mechanical parts aside, no-one’s buying it because they need a watch that’s accurate enough to time a quantum physics experiment: you buy this watch for the fun, limited edition Snoopy artwork. On that front, it delivers in spades. This is a well-designed collector’s piece, which is sure to bring a smile to your face.
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