On October 2, 1950, the world was introduced to Charlie Brown for the first time as Charles Schulz’s “Peanuts” comic strip made its debut in seven newspapers across the United States. Over the years, Charlie Brown, his beloved beagle Snoopy, and the rest of the colorful “Peanuts” gang have made themselves an indelible part of American collective consciousness, leaving their own takes on everything from the proper way to kick a football to the true meaning of Christmas. As part of its ongoing partnership with the “Peanuts” brand, Timex has launched a trio of new models across the Marlin, Q Timex, and Timex Standard series to celebrate this 70th anniversary in style. The Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary collection offers a playful yet surprisingly restrained take on classic character watch concepts.
The largest hit from the new collection is likely to be the Q Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary model. As the standard production Q has sold out regularly since its introduction, becoming a fashion statement piece even out of watch enthusiast circles, this special variant should have no trouble connecting with fans. The ‘70s-style 38mm stainless steel faceted tonneau case with its hooded lugs is intact here, while the bidirectional diver-style bezel is fitted with a two-tone navy blue and orange insert. There’s a nice balance here between keeping the tones muted and allowing for vibrant contrast, and while finishing on a timepiece in this price range may not be spectacular, it does feel distinctive and fun.
The dial is obviously the largest departure from other Q Timex models, and beyond the inclusion of Snoopy, there’s one major step that helps to refine this beyond its standard stablemates. While the indices still take on the classic diver shape, the standard printed versions are replaced by polished applied indices. This small touch goes a long way toward helping the Q Timex design feel more refined, and while the use of faux patina lume is still contentious for some, the light shade used here complements the rest of the color scheme nicely. The sitting Snoopy illustration at 6 o’clock is also an applied element, and the added touch of depth does add some visual weight to the illustration, focusing the eye towards the bottom of the dial. The quartz movement and complex multilink bracelet are also carried over from the standard Q Timex series. This bracelet remains a surprisingly nice addition to the overall design, and while finishing remains simple the tapering form flows handsomely into the main case body to maintain a continuous line from crown to clasp.
While the Q Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary might turn out to be the most popular of this commemorative series, the Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary Marlin is the mechanical flagship. The 40mm stainless steel Timex Marlin series has gained its own cult following in the past several years, emerging as a solid and affordable interpretation of classic ‘60s dress watch cues. The combination of the slim short lugs and the polished sloping bezel leading up into the high domed crystal feels timeless and full of personality, giving an almost UFO-like appearance from the side profile. Worth noting as well is the display caseback. While there may not be much in the way of decoration on the movement within, Timex is one of only a handful of brands offering this option at this price range. Likewise, the lightly domed silver dial with its baton hands and matching applied indices feels elemental and balanced, especially with the lack of dial text outside of the Timex emblem. This leaves the pensive typing Snoopy illustration at 6 o’clock plenty of room to breathe, resulting in a mature, minimalist variation on the character watch theme.
Timex powers the Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary Marlin with the Miyota 8215 automatic movement, a rugged and affordable option that provides a decent 40 hour power reserve at a 21,600 bph beat rate. Timex completes this minimal midcentury look with a simple black leather strap, for a versatile and restrained combination.
Lastly, there’s the Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary Standard, which brings a Charlie Brown touch to one of Timex’s most enduring styles. The 41mm chrome-plated brass case of the Standard has become an iconic piece of design in its own right (even if the material is somewhat archaic in today’s watch market), with its soft rounded bezel, rounded straight lugs, and large onion crown. Outside of a commemorative etched caseback, this form is left untouched. The white dial is designed for maximum easy legibility, with simple baton hands, large rounded Arabic numerals, and a bold outer seconds track. Interestingly, this is the only one of the three to actually feature Charlie Brown, with the printed 6 o’clock illustration featuring Charlie dancing with Snoopy for a playful, lighthearted flair. The quartz movement here is carried over from the regular production Standard model, and Timex pairs this with a simple black leather strap.
With the trio of Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary models, the brand has broken the common mold of “character dead center, with arms as hours and minutes hands” cues for character watches to deliver something subtler and more contemplative, but no less fun. These are only the first group of special Peanuts themed releases planned for Timex through the end of the year, as each month from September to December 2020 is expected to bring new holiday-themed “Peanuts” watches for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. All three models of the Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary collection will be available through Timex’s site in late September 2020. MSRP for the Q Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary stands at $189, while the Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary Marlin is priced at $249, and the Timex x Peanuts 70th Anniversary Standard carries a price of $99. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.
