Cartoon characters on watch dials are nothing new. Snoopy is perhaps the worst offender, cropping up on everything from the Omega Speedmaster to an affordable slew of Timex watches.
For Spinnaker, Spongebob Squarepants is the animated character of choice. The brand has just unveiled a limited edition run of three dive watches made to celebrate the peripheral characters in the franchise.
All three make use of a 43mm case crafted from stainless steel, and sitting 13mm tall. That’s not exactly the most svelte design on the market, but given its relatively modest retail price – you’ll pick these up for just $395 – makes that a little more forgivable.
Inside, you’ll find a Miyota 8245 movement offering two hands on the central pinion and a small second register slightly offset at the 4:30 position. Those are utilised to showcase the characters for each model.
You have the choice of Patrick Green, Krabs Blue or Gary the Grey. Patrick Green is contrasted with a pink and yellow bezel, Krabs Blue sees a more similar blue and red accent there, and Gary the Grey offers pink and blue.
Each of the models is limited to a different degree. The Patrick Green will be offered in 500 pieces, with 450 of the Krabs Blue and just 350 of the Gary the Grey. That’s annoying, too, as the latter is my top pick from the three.
All three are presented on a 22mm nylon strap, which is colour matched with one of the other colors in the design. Perhaps the biggest downside of the model is the water resistance on offer. At 150m, it’s not dreadful, but as a dive watch it’s more pitiful than you’d hope – particularly given the larger case size.
Still, I can’t imagine many will be taking this underwater, so it shouldn’t be too much of an issue.