We’ve had a run of cartoon-themed watches this year, everything from Popeye swinging his arms across a dial to SpongeBob grinning back at you. But Seiko’s latest collaboration might be the most unexpected yet. And honestly, the most fun. The Seiko 5 Sports x The Pink Panther is a bright, colourful watch that honours the famous French police detective.
This is the first official global partnership between Seiko and the Pink Panther franchise, even though collectors have been calling certain rosy Seiko models “Pink Panther” for years. This one earns the name properly. It arrives at the perfect moment, too. The original Pink Panther film, where the famous pink feline first appeared in the credits, came out in 1963. That’s the exact same year Seiko launched the Sportsmatic 5, the blueprint for the Seiko 5 Sports line that continues today. So you’ve got two icons sharing an anniversary, which feels almost too neat to be a coincidence.
The watch itself nods to ‘The Pink Phink’, the very first Pink Panther cartoon episode. If you haven’t watched it, it’s where the long-suffering “Little Man” paints a house blue, and the Panther keeps tricking him into painting everything pink.
Seiko takes that prank and runs with it. The SKX-style case, a familiar 38mm shape with a unidirectional bezel and chunky Lumibrite markers, looks straightforward at first. Then you get to the dial. It’s a bold, almost hot pink, as if the Panther got to it with a fresh paint roller.
Even the extra NATO strap is stamped with WET PAINT in big letters, a direct lift from the episode.
The details are where it gets even better. A tiny footprint motif tracks across the dial like the Panther’s tiptoe steps, and the bezel uses a glittery, cartoon font.
Flip the watch over, and the opaque caseback reveals a pair of mischievous eyes peering out from behind a wash of pink. There’s even a tiny pink diamond etched onto the crown, a neat nod to the famous jewel from the films.
Everything has been really well thought out, and, most importantly, you’re still getting proper watchmaking here as well. I find the Seiko 5 Sports case really comfortable to wear, and, although I love the pink NATO strap, I find the steel bracelet tones down the dial and bezel, making it a bit more wearable every day.
Inside is Seiko’s reliable 4R36 automatic movement with 41 hours of power reserve.
At £390 in the UK (approx US$550), I think it’s very affordable for a limited edition model as well.
The Seiko 5 Sports x The Pink Panther is ‘limited’ to 9999 models worldwide, and the UK won’t see many of them once global stockists get their share.
If you want something playful that still feels like a proper everyday watch, this might be your sweet spot.
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