iT's fUn O'cLOck

wHEn waTcHmaking is Having fun

Mathilde Binetruy

Their names are Snoopy, Bob, and Lucy... They are mischievous, endearing, funny, and sometimes clumsy to the nth degree. And they do it with conviction. These comic book or cartoon icons delighted our youth as well as that of many subsequent generations. Oh, the beloved beagle who first appeared in 1950 alongside his master Charlie Brown in the Peanuts gang! Oh, and those Minions, the little yellow creatures in blue overalls who are always going "bananas" in the Despicable Me saga! True icons of a dreamlike universe, these blundering goofballs so beloved by the public appear where they are least expected: on the dial of a watch. What's more, it's quite successful because the watch brands succeeded in satisfying at the same time both fans of a poetic universe (or overgrown children) and lovers of fine mechanisms. All this, without any compunction. Take for example the latest Konstantin Chaykin Wristmons Minions, an edition limited to 38 timepieces that is already sold out. The independent Russian is

best known for his clown head watch designed in 2017. Here, he does it again with a dash of humour, choosing Bob, the most naive and emotional of the Minions gang, to highlight his latest creation. A watch, really? Yes, and in fact rather elaborately so, since the Muscovite launched this strange a concErn for firsT-dEgrEE Humour lemon-coloured imp at the Dubai Watch Week at the end of November 2021. The creature indicates the and sEcond-dEgrEE irony. hours with its left eye, the minutes with its right eye, while its red tongue displays the moon phase. The virtuoso of complications, who has nearly 80 patents to his credit, also decided to embellish the Minions with a wristband

THE grail of all grails for collEcTors: a nauTilus boasTing Tiffany colours.

directly reminiscent of the denim overalls worn by the charming creatures. What a completely off-the-wall method of telling time on a sort of cross between a yellow flea and a wide-eyed Michelin Man. It is delightfully regressive. This generous dose of fantasy can also be found in Franck Muller's most famous achievement. In 2003, the CEO, while on holiday in a magnificent hotel in Mauritius, threw conventions to the wind and decided to create a watch without any rules: the Crazy Hours. This year, Snoopy is the protagonist of the limited edition of 25 timepieces created in cooperation with Bamford. The pitch? Black case, black dial, and the world's most famous Beagle indicating the hours and minutes with its two arms! The movement is utterly improbable: the numbers are in complete disarray: 8, 1, 6, 11, 4, 9, 2, 7, 12, 5, 10, and 3. Over at Swatch, Snoopy is joined by Charlie Brown, Lucy, and the whole gang in the CHOMP! model. They're all having fun, sledding at top speed, and building snowmen. This New Gent with its 41 mm case and biosourced lens comes in a red dog-bowl shaped case. First-degree humour is what shapes these kinds of vignettes. It is childish without being namby-pamby. Universal and impertinent. Pop culture right there on your wrist!