Snoopy Finally Gets the Elevated Automatic Pilot’s Watch He Deserves

Beware the Red Baron!

Close-up of a wristwatch with a Snoopy cartoon on the white dial and a red perforated leather strap.

Add Gear Patrol as a Preferred Source on Google

Published 5 hours ago

·

If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Snoopy has appeared on dials ranging from Orient to Omega and, by this point, roughly 100 Timex releases. But the most elegant representation of the “Cartoon King of Watches” comes from RGM Watch Co.

The small horological workshop located just outside Lancaster, Pennsylvania, produces what it believes is the first grand feu enamel dial decorated with Snoopy in his “Flying Ace” persona. It is fittingly placed in the brand’s Model 151 pilot’s watch, with every component except the movement produced domestically.

Two wristwatches with Snoopy pilot illustrations, one with a white dial and red perforated leather strap, the other with a blue dial and blue perforated leather strap. — The Model 151 “Flying Ace” dial is available in white enamel or sky blue metal.

RGM Watch Co. was founded in 1992 by master watchmaker Roland G. Murphy. The workshop is located a short drive from Lancaster’s old Hamilton Factory, once the epicenter of American watchmaking.

The brand is known for its intricate detailing, mostly rooted in late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century horology, but it also produces practical, modern tool watches.

The Model 151 collection is based on WWII-era pilot’s watches. Snoopy sits upon a variation of the 151-G “Pilot,” featuring a Flieger-style dial, with the date complication removed.

Close-up of a wristwatch with a light blue dial featuring Snoopy in aviator gear on a red doghouse, black numerals, and a blue perforated leather strap. — The sky-blue dial is a more affordable metal alternative to the white enamel.

Snoopy is depicted at his best, mid-daydream, lost in his “Flying Ace” narrative, likely in hot pursuit of the Red Baron. He is sitting atop his iconic red doghouse, wearing a green WWI-era pilot’s cap and goggles, complete with his red scarf.

The graphic sits within the sunken center of the sector dial, framed by the numeral hour track. It is applied with layers of glaze on the white grand feu enamel dial, and it is printed on the more affordable sky blue metal dial.

Fire away!

RGM is known for its hand-tooled guilloché dials, which rival the best Switzerland has to offer, but the brand does magnificent work with other mediums like painting and enamel.

Close-up of a white watch face with blue hands, black numerals, and a Snoopy illustration wearing aviator goggles and a red scarf. — The white grand feu enamel dial is formed with multiple layers being fired at extremely high heat each time.

This grand feu enamel dial is produced by stacking layer upon layer of enamel and firing each new layer under extremely high heat. The layering creates a glassy effect that adds a unique depth to the Snoopy graphic.

On the enamel dial, the hand-applied artwork has shading and rich detail like a painting. Each of the three clouds is presented in a different color.

The metal handset is heat-blued on the enamel dial, creating strong legibility against the white background. The hour and minute hands, along with the triangles on the dial, are filled with Super-LumiNova.

Close-up of a round metal engraving or printing plate with a Snoopy illustration on a mechanical device. — The enamel dial is hand-made in Pennsylvania.

The more affordable sky blue variation has less depth, but the graphic is still hand-painted with rich color and shading. The metal hands are polished rather than heat-blued to contrast with the dial.

Prove your metal

RGM produces most of its components in-house, including some movements for its most luxurious references. The 38mm Model 151 case is hand-tooled in Pennsylvania and finished in the Mt. Joy workshop with radial brushing.

It is available in stainless steel or titanium, and measures 10mm tall with the blue metal dial and 10.6mm tall with the white enamel dial. Both variations are capped with a box sapphire crystal.

Back of a silver watch case engraved with Snoopy wearing aviator goggles and a blue and black strap. — The caseback features an etching of Snoopy’s “Flying Ace” filled with black lacquer.

The caseback, secured by seven exposed screws, features an etching of Snoopy’s “Flying Ace” filled with black lacquer. It houses a custom Sellita Caliber SW300-1 automatic movement produced for RGM, featuring a 52-hour power reserve and in-house regulation.

Availability and pricing

RGM Watch Co. is a very small operation that only produces about 400 watches each year. Both versions of the Model 151 “Flying Ace” are made to order by contacting the brand directly.

The enamel dial costs $8,950 in stainless steel and $9,950 in titanium, while the blue metal dial costs $3,950 in stainless steel and $4,950 in titanium. Both watches come on perforated leather pin buckle straps with rubber linings.

Round silver wristwatch with white dial featuring Snoopy on a red doghouse and a red perforated leather strap.

RGM Watch Co. Model 151 ‘Snoopy Flying Ace’

Specs

Case Size	38mm
Movement	RGM x Sellita Caliber SW300-1 automatic
Water Resistance	50m

Learn More

About the Author: Brad Lanphear is an associate editor at Gear Patrol covering watches and style. Before joining the publication, he previously wrote for Heddels and Men’s Health. Now, he’s on a never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of Japanese denim.

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.