Hello everyone, and welcome to another Singaporean watch review! This Sunday, I’m reviewing the UNDONE X Peanuts Watch!
Much like the UNDONE X ULTRAMAN which I reviewed last week, the UNDONE X Peanuts is another UNDONE collaborative effort with a well-loved comic franchise. Let’s see if it’s any good!
UNDONE – Brand
I have previously covered UNDONE as a brand here. In that article, I covered UNDONE’s philosophy, as well as my opinion on the customisation process. If you’re interested in the UNDONE brand story, do check out the above article!
In addition, I’ve also reviewed multiple UNDONE watches in the past. For those interested, you can read my review of the Aqua here, the Urban Vintage (one of my favourites) here, the Urban Tropical here, and the UNDONE X ULTRAMAN here.
UNDONE X Peanuts – Build Quality
In terms of build quality, the UNDONE Peanuts watch I customised is near identical to the UNDONE Ultraman watch which I reviewed last week.
Firstly, the UNDONE Peanuts uses a hardened domed K1 crystal. While I felt that a hardened domed K1 crystal was acceptable on the Urban Vintage due to its low price point ($239 USD after promo code), the MSRP of the UNDONE Peanuts is substantially higher – sapphire crystal can be easily found on other microbrand watches in this price range. As stated in my previous reviews, I almost always advocate for the use of sapphire crystal in watches due to its high scratch-resistance. While I understand that a domed sapphire crystal is significantly more expensive than a flat sapphire/domed K1 crystal, the lack of a sapphire crystal inevitably inhibits the watch’s long term longevity. Also, the WR rating of the UNDONE Peanuts is stated at just 30M – no water activities with this one on!
Secondly, the Seiko VK61 mecha-quartz movement (which is also found on the UNDONE Ultraman) powers the UNDONE Peanuts. For those uninitiated with mecha-quartz movements, a mecha-quartz movement basically allows you to enjoy the best of both worlds – the accuracy (and affordability) of a quartz movement (which also negates the need to wind the watch), and also the sweeping second hand that’s characteristic of a mechanical chronograph. With the Seiko VK61 movement, you get the capability to instantly reset the chronograph by pressing the bottom pusher. However, despite UNDONE’s claims otherwise, the Seiko VK61 is not a flyback chronograph movement. I have consistently pointed this out in numerous of my previous reviews, but unfortunately UNDONE continues to advertise the movements as such. While the second hand can be instantly reset (without needing to be paused first), the second hand does not continue timing thereafter like a true flyback chronograph movement would. However, if you’re looking for a fully mechanical flyback chronograph, you will need to look at 4 figure price-points, probably something from Longines or Baume & Mercier – timepieces that are quadruple the price of the one we have here!
Like on the UNDONE Ultraman, one can also choose their strap of choice with the UNDONE Peanuts.The default strap on the “Flying Ace” (the variant I based my design upon) is a black rally strap but for some reason I didn’t really feel that the racing strap matched my design perfectly. I instead went for a black cordura strap, which I felt best brought out the features of my design. As I stated in my review of the UNDONE Ultraman, cordura straps are one of my favourite straps due to their lightweight yet sturdy properties, as well as their breathability. Most commonly seen on Pilot/Field watches, I thought that the black cordura strap would be right at home with my design of the UNDONE Peanuts – and I wasn’t disappointed.
Similar to the other variants of the Urban line, ‘Asian lume’ is used here on the UNDONE Peanuts. The brightness is decent, and satisfactory for an everyday watch. However, unlike on the UNDONE Ultraman, the lume on the UNDONE Peanuts left me wanting for more. It’s missing lume on some indices, specifically on the left side of the dial, and just looks incomplete when viewed in the dark. I personally think that UNDONE missed the mark here.
Overall, I think that the UNDONE Peanuts has satisfactory build quality for the price. The lack of sapphire is my biggest knock against it, as well as the unlumed indices. However, I really like the cordura strap, and $369 USD/~S$500 for a mecha-quartz chronograph is par for the course.
UNDONE X PEANUTS – Design
Let’s be real though – no one is going to buy the UNDONE X Peanuts because it’s a specifications beast. That’s not where the appeal lies. Instead, the appeals lies in the customisability of the watch, as well as the official Peanuts design.
As aforementioned, the variant which I based my design upon is the “Flying Ace“. There are numerous other variants featuring artworks of other iconic Peanuts characters – Linus, Woodstock, Lucy, Charlie, Peppermint and more – but the “Flying Ace” Snoopy was my favorite. The standard “Flying Ace” came with a black dial as well as a black case, but I customised it to a white dial/gold case, which in my opinion looks more striking! Here, I took inspiration from the original Omega Speedmaster “Snoopy” -which featured a white dial with a black tachymeter bezel- and opted for a gold case for a luxurious touch. When I first received the watch, I was taken aback by how good it looked in the metal. In addition, I loved the fact that – unlike on the UNDONE Ultraman – I was able to completely customise the UNDONE Peanuts watch, and mould it to my specific taste and liking. In my opinion, the customisation process and experience that UNDONE provides is one of the brand’s greatest strengths.
I love the colour scheme of the dial – the combination of black, white and red gives the dial a “comic” aesthetic that I absolutely adore. The Snoopy artworks looks great in person as well, and is well integrated into the dial. The red second hand matches the red doghouse of the Snoopy artwork perfectly as well. In addition, I find the black hands -both the primary hands, as well as those on the sub-dials- to match the black outline of the Snoopy artwork, the black tachymeter bezel, the black text on the dial, as well as the black cordura strap perfectly. On this note, I should point out that UNDONE allows customers the opportunity to inscribe text of their choice on the dial, in this case at the 3 o’clock. I thought about putting my name/initials, but eventually went with “Flying Ace” to pay homage to the comic that this design is based upon. Lastly, I think that the date window is much better integrated here than it was on the UNDONE Ultraman. Overall, there’s really not much about the dial that I can fault!
Like on most of their Urban chronographs, a tachymeter bezel is available as an optional choice. I went with the tachymeter bezel here, as I felt that having a tachymeter bezel would complement the “Flying Ace” theme -Snoopy as a pilot- well. However, if you find the price tag a tad too high, going without the tachymeter bezel would save you $50 USD off MSRP. In my opinion, the tachymeter bezel lends the watch added presence and dimension, making for a more striking watch overall. In addition, the iconic Omega Speedmaster “Snoopy” features a tachymeter bezel as well, so if that’s the look you’re going for, the tachymeter bezel is for you.
The case finishing on the UNDONE Peanuts is identical to the finishing found in the other Urban chronographs, and is overall quite impressive at this price point. Contrast in finishing is clearly present here. The middle strip of the case is brushed, while the bevelled edges are polished to a gleam. This contrast in polishing extends to the lugs as well, whereby the sides of the lugs are brushed finished, with the fronts polished. In addition, the tachymetre bezel protrudes a little on the sides, creating a contrast in depth. Lastly, I think that the gold of the case, set against the black tachymeter bezel, makes for a great colour combination.
Similar to the other Urban chronographs, the crown is nicely signed and grooved. In addition, the chronograph pushers are well-sized and sturdy, making the chronograph a joy to operate. Furthermore, I simply love the aesthetics of the domed crystal. It’s a nice vintage touch, and is visually reminiscent of domed hesalite crystals found on vintage Speedmasters. Given that the Flying Ace comic strip is based upon Snoopy’s fantasy of himself as a WW1 Fighter Pilot, the vintage aesthetic looks right at home here!
As with most other customisable Urban chronographs, one has the option to choose between a solid caseback, or an open one which allows you to glimpse at the mecha-quartz movement within. Whichever you choose, this UNDONE Peanuts has the special ‘One World’ artwork depicted, in which all of our beloved Peanuts characters are shown. In addition, “Peanuts Worldwide LLC” is only stated on the caseback, confirming that this is an official collaboration between the two companies.
Overall, I really like this UNDONE Peanuts watch. Along with the UNDONE Urban Vintage, this has to be one of my personal favourites from UNDONE to date! I remember reading the Peanuts comic strip in the Life! newspaper every week, and this watch really resonated with the child inside of me. I’m really pleased with how my customisation choices turned out too. I think that UNDONE has hit it out of the park with this one!
Shootout: UNDONE X Peanuts vs UNDONE X Ultraman
The UNDONE Ultraman, which I reviewed last week, is the other collaborative watch that UNDONE offers.
In terms of specifications, both watches are identical. Both uses a hardened K1 crystal, is powered by the Seiko VK61 mecha-quartz movement, with a wide variety of straps available for customisation. The only difference would be that the UNDONE Ultraman is better lumed than the UNDONE Peanuts, though it probably isn’t a major factor in everyday use!
From an aesthetic perspective, I think both watches paid homage to the characters of their respective franchise well. However, if I have to choose, I would have to say that the UNDONE Peanuts did it a tad better. I really like the comic style artwork of Snoopy here. In addition, I’m also not a fan of the date window present on the UNDONE Ultraman – the date window is incorporated significantly better on the UNDONE Peanuts. Furthermore, one actually gets to customise the design of the UNDONE Peanuts, toying with options such as dial/hands/bezel/case/strap choices, and there’s even the chance to inscribe text of your choice on the dial! In contrast, one only gets to customise the strap on the UNDONE Ultraman. Customisation is perhaps the raison d’etre of UNDONE, and as such the UNDONE Peanuts triumphs over the UNDONE Ultraman for me.
Price wise, the UNDONE Peanuts is also slightly cheaper (~$30 USD) than the UNDONE Ultraman, making it a better value proposition overall. However, which watch works better for you ultimately probably depends on which franchise you’re more of a fan of – Ultraman, or Peanuts?
Conclusion: so the UNDONE X Peanuts “shiok” or not?
Most definitely yes. As aforementioned, the UNDONE Peanuts is one of my favourite watches from UNDONE thus far, and given that I have reviewed a fair bunch of them, that says a lot! I liked that I could actually customise this watch to my likings (unlike on the UNDONE Ultraman), I love the comic-like artwork of Snoopy on the dial, and I think the price -S$500 after the promo code below- is just right for an official Snoopy watch. To me, the UNDONE Peanuts fits just the right niche, between cheap Timex Snoopy watches and exorbitant luxury pieces such as the Omega Speedmaster “Snoopy” (currently trading at in the 5 figures). If an affordable, customisable, official Snoopy watch is what you’re looking for, give the UNDONE Peanuts a look!
For those interested in getting the UNDONE X Peanuts, click on this link here and use the code “WAHSOSHIOK” for 10% off! After the discount, this tachymeter variant of the UNDONE X Peanuts can be had for $369 USD/~$500 SGD. I really enjoy my Peanuts watch -both the customisation process and the watch itself- and I’m certain you will too!
View UNDONE’s full collection of watches here.
Specifications:
Case Width: 41.8mm excl. crown
Case Thickness: 13.5mm incl. crystal
Watch Movement: Seiko Instruments Inc. VK61 Mechanical-Quartz Hybrid Chronograph
Case Material: 316L Stainless Steel
Crystal Material: Hardened Domed K1 Crystal
Water Resistance: 3 ATM / 30 Meters
Strap Size: 20 mm
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