Some of watchmaking’s most serious names have found unlikely collaborators in the characters we grew up watching.
Luxury watches and pop cultureCultureshared traditions, beliefs, values, customs, arts, and social practices that define the identity and way of life of a community, society, or nation.Go to Culture Glossary characters may seem like an unlikely pairing, but watchmakers have been playing with the idea for years. The appeal is easy to understand, and a joy to witness, even for those who wouldn’t consider themselves well-versed in the world of watchmaking. A well-made timepiece can carry decades of history, while a beloved character can bring back memories of childhood cartoons, books, or pop culture moments. Put the two together and you’ll find a watch that feels personal, playful, and collectible all at the same time.
From Mickey Mouse to Snoopy, these characters have appeared on watches from some of the horology industry’s biggest names, often in limited-edition runs that have become sought-after by collectors. Here are some of the most memorable character collaborations in luxury watchmaking.
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Omega Speedmaster “Silver Snoopy Award”
Few character watches can claim a genuine brush with history. This one earns its story honestly. NASA gave Omega the Silver Snoopy Award in 1970 after the Speedmaster helped time the critical engine burn that brought Apollo 13 home. The caseback still plays that moment out in miniature. The watch features an animated Snoopy as he orbits a micro-etched moon, while a small Earth disc turns once a minute in sync with the seconds hand.
Oris ProPilot X “Gonzo the Great”
Oris caps off its Muppets trilogy with a watch that hides its best trick inside the movement itself. The watch features a 44mm titanium case, with a hand-wound Caliber 115 that delivers a full 10 days of power reserve. It’s tracked by a chili-pepper-shaped hand that nods to one of Gonzo’s shirt patterns. Wind the crown and tiny laser-etched markings along the mainspring slowly align into Gonzo’s grinning face, then fade again as the power drains away. The skeletonized dial shifts through blue, red, and yellow to match the Muppet daredevil’s trademark fur and wardrobe.
Bremont Altitude MB Meteor “Felix the Cat”
Bremont dug into aviation history with this Felix the Cat collaboration. Felix has ridden on the insignia of Navy squadron VFA-31, known as “the Tomcatters,” since the unit’s earliest days, a partnership commemorated on a 42mm titanium piece. The case has a tough, matte black finish and a three-part build that Bremont originally designed to survive the violent force of a fighter jet’s ejection seat. On the dial, Felix runs off playfully with the number six. Bremont made only 500 of these watches worldwide.
IWC Le Petit Prince Twentieth Anniversary Collection
IWC marked two decades with Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s estate by solving one of watchmaking’s oldest headaches. The new Perpetual Calendar ProSet lets wearers correct the calendar forward or backward through a single crown position, a feat that took five patents and decades of institutional frustration to crack. The Little Prince himself stands on the moon of the day and night display, gazing skyward the way he has on every dial since the partnership began. The collection’s move into ceramic cases and the Portofino line shows a franchise still finding new rooms to grow.
TAG Heuer Connected x Super Mario Limited Edition
TAG Heuer’s first Nintendo collaboration arrives as a smartwatch. Built on Wear OS, the timepiece greets wearers with dedicated animations that play as fitness goals get hit, showing Mario tipping his hat or climbing his classic namesake game’s goal pole. The watch carries recognizable touches from the original game, including a Super Mushroom, a Pipe, a Super Star and a Goal Pole, and the strap closes with a buckle bearing Mario’s signature “M” emblem. Released back in 2021, TAG Heuer capped the run at 2,000 pieces.
Bulgari Gérald Genta Only Watch Disney Mickey Mouse Minute Repeater
Built as a single piece for the 2023 Only Watch charity auction, this collaborative watch marked Disney’s centenary and 50 years since Genta founded his own name. Mickey’s outstretched arm sweeps across the dial as a working retrograde minute hand, while the watch simultaneously chimes the time through a minute repeater and jumps its hours forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Character collaborations are luxury timepieces that incorporate recognizable fictional or pop culture characters into their design or mechanics. Examples include Omega’s Snoopy watch, IWC’s Little Prince collection, and TAG Heuer’s Super Mario smartwatch.
Omega, Oris, Bremont, IWC, TAG Heuer, and Bulgari have all created watches featuring characters. Their collaborations include Snoopy, Gonzo, Felix the Cat, The Little Prince, Super Mario, and Mickey Mouse.
Notable examples include the Omega Speedmaster “Silver Snoopy Award,” Oris ProPilot X “Gonzo the Great,” IWC’s Le Petit Prince collection, and Bulgari’s Gérald Genta Mickey Mouse Minute Repeater.
Several of these watches were produced in limited quantities. Bremont made 500 Felix the Cat watches, TAG Heuer produced 2,000 Super Mario editions, while Bulgari created just one Mickey Mouse Minute Repeater for the Only Watch charity auction.
Characters can appear in playful visual details or become part of the watch’s mechanics. Snoopy appears in Omega’s animated caseback, Gonzo emerges from Oris’s mainspring display, and Mickey Mouse’s arm functions as a retrograde minute hand in Bulgari’s watch.
