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Snoopy: When design goes against functionality.

SpeedyMW2103
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Can you tell what time it is in the picture?

Did you look at the White Speedy for your answer? If yes, then I am with you.

Look at how the blue hour and minute hands disappeared over the blue sub-dials.

I understand the collectibility of the Snoopy because of its story, the design colour-way, the funny animated case back….. But as an instrument to tell the time and read the Chronograph, it fails quite miserably, in my point of view.

P.S.: I stop seeing the Snoopy animation on the case back after 2 days of ownership.

IMG_3770.webp
 
SpeedyPhill
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With 90% of the watch " influencers " having no clue at all what the meaning is behind " Eyes On The Stars " on the official NASA Snoopy patch...
Wrote an article about it...
.

Eyes Stars NASA MWU-.webp
 
dkr
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I think the legibility observation is a common trait to most panda dials, where the subdials are almost always the same colour as the hands.

The secondary market popularity of the 50th still astounds me, especially given the likely production numbers.. It's now been in production for 5 years, and assuming 2000-3000 pieces/year, the run must be pushing 10,000-15,000 by now (and that's a bit of a conservative estimate.. Based on ~350 boutiques world wide receiving on average 1 unit/month (some more, many less), it could be approaching 20,000.. That compares to 5441 for the 1st gen and 1970 for the 2nd gen..

I was in a store in Tokyo yesterday that had 4 of the current model in stock.
Edited:
 
SpeedyMW2103
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SpeedyPhill SpeedyPhill
With 90% of the watch " influencers " having no clue at all what the meaning is behind " Eyes On The Stars " on the official NASA Snoopy patch...
Wrote an article about it...
.

Eyes Stars NASA MWU-.webp
I would love to read your article if you have a link for it.
I did a quick Google research but couldn’t find anything.
Thank you.
 
SpeedyMW2103
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dkr dkr
I think the egibility observation is a common trait to most panda dials, where the subdials are almost always the same colour as the hands.

The secondary market popularity of the 50th still astounds me, especially given the likely production numbers.. It's now been in production for 5 years, and assuming 2000-3000 pieces/year, the run must be pushing 10,000-15,000 by now (and that's a bit of a conservative estimate.. Based on ~350 boutiques world wide receiving on average 1 unit/month (some more, many less), it could be approaching 20,000.. That compares to 5441 for the 1st gen and 1970 for the 2nd gen..

I was in a store in Tokyo yesterday that had 4 of the current model in stock.
With my observation, I believe that if OMEGA produced those hand with polished finishing, legibility would be improved significantly.

Please see some image of the new SpeedMaster Meteorite Moonphase with a polished white gold hands and then PVD-coated in blue.

Also, I may offend some OMEGA lovers up here, but the same aforementioned point can be proven with my reverse-panda-dial Daytona.

IMG_5821.webp
 
IMG_3067.mov - 10.6 MB
IMG_0573.mov - 6.7 MB
bsowers34
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Looks like my avatar. But try telling the time with this. I have to twist my wrist to be able to read it with the shiny hands.
IMG_5333.webp
 
SpeedyMW2103
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bsowers34 bsowers34
Looks like my avatar. But try telling the time with this. I have to twist my wrist to be able to read it with the shiny hands.
IMG_5333.webp
Yes, that’s what put me off with the new FOIS.

And the faux-patina is too overly executed. Just a cream colour like those on the Ed White 321 is perfect.

Beautiful Speedmaster Collection!
 
dsio
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Most of my favourites tend to be the panda dials and less legible variants and LEs, Gemini 4, Apollo 11 35th, Soyuz 35th, ST1 etc.

They might not be as easy to read but they do make me smile, while my Apple Watch is very legible but doesn’t.

Mind you, the Apollo 17 40th LE is probably the least legible, but I have a perverse attraction to that one too 😀
 
SpeedyMW2103
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dsio dsio
Most of my favourites tend to be the panda dials and less legible variants and LEs, Gemini 4, Apollo 11 35th, Soyuz 35th, ST1 etc.

They might not be as easy to read but they do make me smile, while my Apple Watch is very legible but doesn’t.

Mind you, the Apollo 17 40th LE is probably the least legible, but I have a perverse attraction to that one too 😀
I agree, I love Panda dial too.

Maybe I should rename this thread: “Emotions over Functions” haha…
 
ErichKeane
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dsio dsio
Most of my favourites tend to be the panda dials and less legible variants and LEs, Gemini 4, Apollo 11 35th, Soyuz 35th, ST1 etc.

They might not be as easy to read but they do make me smile, while my Apple Watch is very legible but doesn’t.

Mind you, the Apollo 17 40th LE is probably the least legible, but I have a perverse attraction to that one too 😀
I agree 😀 One of my favorites (the 2 tone Sedna) is actually quite poor legibility, since the hand color matches the non-subdial part of the dial.

White/Black speedies are obviously both great legibility.

All that said, I can still tell the time. If it takes a few extra seconds to read, it isn't a problem. Particularly with my 2 tone, I'm going to spend a few seconds staring at the dial for another reason anyway, mind as well use that time to figure out the time 😁
 
pdxleaf
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SpeedyMW2103 SpeedyMW2103
Can you tell what time it is in the picture?
Fortunately, our eyes are alerted to movement. In real life when the second hand moves we can see it much easier than in a static photo. Plus, we can turn our wrists for a better view. Unfortunately, no matter how you turn your wrist, that Daytona is still ugly.

20230302_201223.webp
 
Porteroso
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People are not buying Snoopys to tell time, just saying. I think the hands are great and putting polished white gold hands in would ruin the look. Just my opinion. Will not buy the Snoopy either way.
 
rendo
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I don't disagree with you, but we wouldn't all be on OF if we were wearing watches primarily to tell the time.
 
Dan S
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You can always use your phone to tell the time. In fact, if you don't bother winding the watch, you will never need to service it. That's my wife's strategy. 👍
 
Mute
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I'm pretty sure most purchasers of the 50th Snoopy aren't buying it for its functionality.
 
savio.79
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Needs to say also that a picture (which is in 2D) is a different story from the reality of the thing, seen with binocular vision.
 
SpeedyMW2103
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Mute Mute
I'm pretty sure most purchasers of the 50th Snoopy aren't buying it for its functionality.
I agree, but after the initial “hype” wears out, you start to see the watch as it is.

I am not complaining, this is my observation.

Have a magnificent day everyone!
 
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