Introducing The Bamford × Peanuts “Joe Preppy” GMT Limited Edition For Hodinkee

This sharp-dressed collaboration timepiece will bring a huge smile to your face every time you check the time

April 12, 2022

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It’s been a little under a year since Dave wrote about the Bamford × Revolution GMT “Joe Cool” Limited Edition. In the article, Dave made the great claim that we need more fun watches! I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. After all the exquisite horological madness and serious discussions about the latest introduction at Watches and Wonders, we can use a bit of fun. What better way than to have a bit of fun with another Bamford × Peanuts collaboration timepiece? This time, Bamford hooked up with our good friends across the pond to create the Bamford × Peanuts “Joe Preppy” GMT Limited Edition For Hodinkee. Get ready for some London meets New York preppy style.

Last year’s Bamford collaboration with Revolution wasn’t the first Bamford × Peanuts collaboration timepiece. We have seen multiple fun releases featuring Snoopy’s alter egos. Usually finding inspiration for a fun watch can be tricky. But it sure helps if you have 50 years of Peanuts comics to cherry-pick from. Snoopy first appeared in the world-famous Charles M. Schulz comic on October 4, 1950, two days after the first Peanuts strip was published. For the following five decades, the world’s favorite beagle had numerous alter egos that could serve as the perfect character to be featured on one of the Bamford × Peanuts collaboration timepieces. The list is almost endless. But Bamford and Hodinkee picked the perfect alter ego for this great collaboration. Who better to represent the Hodinkee style than Joe Preppy?!

Meet Joe Preppy

Joe Preppy first appeared in the Peanuts comics on July 30, 1981. Snoopy was wearing a checkered blazer with a nice shirt and a bow tie. His preppy look was completed with round glasses, a traditional suitcase, and a tennis racket. This stylish version of Snoppy was the inspiration for this new timepiece. Preppy or preppy style originated in the United States and is influenced by old private Northeastern college preparatory schools. While it is generally regarded as a subculture, it is most famous because of its fashion style.

The style finds its roots in the Ivy League style of dress that became popular in the 1950s. As the name already implies, the Ivy League style refers to the famous Ivy League schools like Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, and Yale. The style was influenced by the clothing worn during leisure activities enjoyed by people from the upper class in the United Kingdom and the northeast of the United States in the 1920s. Activities included polo, sailing, rowing, lacrosse, golf, tennis, and rugby amongst others. Although the style of clothing was intended for leisure activities, it is characterized by a style that we nowadays find far from today’s casual style. Two-button navy blazers with gold buttons, striped college blazers, Ascot ties, and Oxford shirts were mixed with the typical British tweed sportscoats and brogue shoes.

The Preppy style of the 1980s

The preppy style that became popular in the United States in the 1980s was influenced by the Ivy style. It can be characterized as a more casual style that incorporated elements of the Ivy style and adds more casual clothing pieces to it. On top of that, it was also a lot more colorful. School sweatshirts, rugby shirts, chinos, polo shorts, and penny loafers were typical of the preppy 80s style. Brands like Ralph Lauren, Lacoste, Eddie Bauer, and L.L. Bean became important representatives of the preppy style.

Looking at Joe Preppy, he was definitely incorporating the Ivy style in his preppy style. All jokes aside, Joe Preppy was born in the early eighties as a stylish character that represented the style that became so popular during those days. But in relation to this new collaboration timepiece, it’s fun to see there is the English/American connection in the style of Joe Preppy. And it’s a style that fits both brands well.

The Bamford × Peanuts “Joe Preppy” GMT Limited Edition For Hodinkee

It’s a style we also find incorporated in the watch. But let’s start with some basics. The watch features a 40mm stainless steel cushion-shaped case that is 11.7mm thick. The watch has a 46.7mm lug to lug and is water-resistant up to 100 meters. I was lucky enough to try out the “Joe Cool” Limited Edition and it’s a very comfortable size. The classic case shape is easy to wear and it fits a variety of wrist sizes. Underneath the sapphire crystal, the watch features an internal rotating 24-hour bezel split into two 12-hour halves executed in dark brown and white for day and night indication. The rotating bezel is operated by simply turning the crown at the 10 o’clock position.

The matte brown dial serves as the perfect stylish canvas for Joe Preppy with his tweed jacket. He stands in the middle of the dial with his outstretched paws indicating the local hours and minutes. Snoopy little buddy Woodstock is as always on these watches flying around the dial in 24-hours. He serves as a fun centrally-mounted GMT hand and brings a bright yellow sparkle of color to the dial. Lastly, there is a date display at 3 o’clock that is accentuated by the light brown colored frame that matches Joe Preppy’s tweed jacket. The color also returns on the outside of the minute track as an extra stylish element.

A limited-edition of 250 pieces

If you turn the watch around, you are greeted by the closed case back. It features the Hodinkee logo, Bamford branding, and the limited edition number engraved on the back. Inside the case, Bamford uses the Sellita SW330-2 to power the watch. The automatic movement operates at 28,800vph, has 25 jewels, and comes with 42 hours of power reserve. As mentioned the watch displays the time, features a quickset date display, and features an independently-adjustable 24-hour hand.

The watch comes on a brown Cordura strap with contrasting white stitching. The color combination matches the colors used on the dial perfectly. And as we have seen before from the Bamford × Peanuts limited editions, the packaging is rather special as well. Each of the 250 numbered pieces will be delivered inside a brown fabric-coated replica of Snoopy’s doghouse, featuring the Hodinkee logo on the side. The Bamford × Peanuts “Joe Preppy” GMT Limited Edition for Hodinkee will be available today at 17.00h CET / 11:00 AM ET exclusively in the Hodinkee shop for $1,850.

First thoughts

This new Bamford × Peanuts “Joe Preppy” GMT Limited Edition for Hodinkee brought a smile to my face when I first saw it. Firstly because it’s a fun watch to see. The style is a nice mix of traditional and contemporary styles. Secondly, I love how Joe Preppy represents both British and American clothing that merged into the Ivy style and later the preppy style. It’s a clever connection between London-based Bamford and New York-based Hodinkee.

Lastly, it’s hard not to love a watch with our favorite comic beagle on the dial. You can’t go wrong with Snoopy or one of his alter egos at the center of your watch. Joe Preppy specifically brings, style, charm, and mostly fun. That’s why I think the watches will find their way to collectors quickly. If you like this watch, be quick as they will probably sell out fast.

For more information or to buy this watch visit the Hodinkee Shop.