AVI-8 Flyboy Engineer Automatic Peanuts Snoopy Flying Ace Review

Over the past two years I've been blown away with the offerings from the Solar Time Limited group. We were first made aware of a brand run by Solar Time in Spinnaker Watches, which is the groups brand dedicated to solely producing dive watches. We were then introduced to sister brand AVI-8, which specializes in making aviation themed and pilots watches. Both brands offer extremely well built watches at incredibly reasonable prices. We have reviewed many watches from both Spinnaker and AVI-8, along with a few newer brands from Solar Time and they have all impressed us with what they can offer at the price point they are sold at.

When you're talking about an industry where some brands were established centuries ago, Avi-8 is a relatively new brand only being founded in 2012. AVI-8 is laser focused on producing watches where aviation is at the forefront of each pieces inspiration. The brand even goes so far as to name their collections after notable aircraft and pilots throughout the history of flight.



AVI-8 also works hand in hand with various historical and modern flight groups to ensure their watches are as authentic as possible. The brand even supports veterans and charities related to aviation whenever possible. AVI-8 also brings to light the stories of heroes throughout the ages that might have been lost to younger generations when highlighting the inspiration behind different models.

The watch we're going to be taking a closer look at today isn't as serious of a watch as say a timepiece that is dedicated to a certain battle or aircraft would be. The watch in question is instead a collaboration with one of the most beloved pop culture characters of all time, Snoopy. This is actually the second time AVI-8 has collaborated with Peanuts and Snoopy in particular on a watch. The first collaboration was a massive success for both parties, so a second was bound to happen.



Snoopy first donned his leather flight helmet, goggles and scarf atop of his doghouse, which would become a Sopwith Camel biplane, on October 10, 1965. Creator of Peanuts, Charles Schulz, got his inspiration for this scene from his son who was building model airplanes at the time and also his memories of WWI aviation movies like "The Dawn Patrol". Snoopy would become his alter-ego "Flying Ace" and face off against the unseen "Red Baron" who would always shoot down Snoopy's plane. The bit went over extremely well and would even inspire a pop song "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron".

Snoopy's true association with aviation would come just two years after he first took flight. After three astronauts were killed by the Apollo 1 fire, NASA needed to rebuild their image, especially as it came to safety. To achieve this they needed a mascot that would be respected and would stress the importance of flight safety. In Snoopy they found this mascot and the agency was able to get Schulz to sign off on the idea. Besides being a mascot, the Silver Snoopy Award was created by NASA to be awarded to astronauts and ground crew who had significantly contributed to flight safety. Omega still produces special edition Speedmasters which feature Snoopy as tribute to the beagle's influence on space travel.



Initial Thoughts

AVI-8 actually surprised us with the Flyboy Engineer Automatic Peanuts Flying Ace, with the watch arriving with no prior warning. When I unboxed the Flying Ace, the first thing that I noticed was the depth to the dial. The watch features a highly domed sapphire crystal and tall rehaut, giving the dial a lot of vertical space to play with. First Snoopy stands a good distance off of the dial and then each hand, making up his arms and scarf, get their own plane. When all elements are viewed together there is a very 3D effect to the body of Snoopy.

Having just reviewed the newest Spinnaker seconde/seconde/ 50 Phantoms collaboration, I was on the lookout for hidden lumed items from Solar Time watches. So the second thing I took note of during my initial time with the Flying Ace were the hidden lumed items found on the watch. The first set of hidden lumed items can be found on the dial in the form of clouds and Woodstock that appear when hit with UV light. The crown is also set with a paw that glows blue when exposed to UV.



The final thing I noticed when first looking at the watch was the two-tone leather strap. The front side of the supple strap is done in natural brown leather, while the keepers and the back of the strap are done in sky blue. The combination sounds like it shouldn't work, but in practice the effect is rather fetching and unlike any other strap I can think of, especially in the form of an OEM strap.

A Closer Look

The AVI-8 Engineer Automatic Peanuts Flying Ace is crafted out of stainless steel and has a case diameter of 41.1 mm with a lug to lug length of 48.9 mm. On our scale the watch weighed in at 80 grams on the leather strap and stainless steel pin buckle. At its thickest point the Flying Ace is 14.6 mm tall, due in part to its highly domed sapphire crystal.



The crystal clear sapphire has an anti-reflective coating on it and underneath you can see the textured pilot grey dial. Around the outside of the dial is a minute track printed in yellow. AVI-8 then uses applied bar hour markers for every hour. Every hour except for 6 also gets an applied Arabic numeral marker. 6 is missing since the AVI-8 branding takes it place. With a nod to military time and some flight instrumentation starting at zero, the common "12" is replaced with a "0" on the Flying Ace. All the hour markers are coated with Swiss Newlite, with the bar markers glowing green and the Arabic numerals glowing blue.

At 12 o'clock "Limited Edition" is printed and at 6 o'clock is "AVI-8" and "Automatic", with AVI-8 being lumed and glowing blue like the Arabic numerals. Snoopy's body is also fully lumed, appearing white in normal lighting and then glowing green in low light. There are three centrally mounted hands on the Flying Ace being the hour, minutes and seconds hands. The hour and minute hands are in the shape of Snoopy's arms and the seconds hand is his scarf. Snoopy's arms appear white like his body in normal light and then also glow green in low light. The scarf is red that glows more of an orange in low light. It's nice to see the scarf used as the seconds hand, since it gives some nice movement to what could have been a dial that appeared static if only Snoopy's arms moved.



A UV flashlight is included with the Flying Ace so that the dial's secrets can be revealed. When lit up by UV light the dial exposes four hidden clouds along with the image of Snoopy's trusted sidekick, Woodstock. Completing the dial is a very subtle black backed date window at 4:30. With date windows being such a hot topic between collectors, the ability to integrate the date so well on the dial is sure to be a popular touch. I didn't even notice the date window the first time I looked at the Flying Ace.

The fixed bezel along with the rest of the case is done in a brushed finish with polished chamfers to give a bit of visual flair. The sapphire crystal sits flush in the bezel and although it is nicely domed, there isn't much distortion seen through the sapphire. Looking at the profile of the watch, you can see that there is a strong curve in the mid-case that follows the shape of your wrist. Being just under 49 mm of lug to lug length also makes sure the watch will fit a wide variety of wrist sizes.



On the right hand side is a large non-screwed down onion crown that is polished and scalloped nicely offering great grip. Topping the crown is a blue paw which lights up brilliant blue under UV light. In the crowns resting position you can manually wind the automatic movement. Pulling the crown out to position one allows you set the date and pulling the crown all the way out to position two stops the seconds hand, scarf, and lets you set the time. Pushing the crown back in also doesn't cause the minute hand to jump at all either. With the push / pull crown, the Flying Ace is rated to a fair 50 meters of water resistance.

Flipping the watch over shows off the display case back which is screwed down into place. Around the bezel of the display back are engravings for all the important details of the watch. This includes the individual limited edition number out of 450 pieces being produced. Through the display window you can see the Japanese made NH35 automatic movement with a branded "Peanuts x AVI-8" rotor with Snoopy at its center.



The movement runs at 21,600 bph (3Hz) and has a power reserve of 41 hours. The NH35 is a widely available workhorse of a movement that can be serviced, repaired or replaced by just about any local watchmaker. Seiko quotes the accuracy at -20 to +40 seconds per day, but we normally see NH35s perform much better than that. On our timegrapher the NH35 inside of the Flying Ace recorded an accuracy of +5 seconds per day when averaged out over several positions. This is an extremely accurate result and once again shows that you don't always have to have a top tier in-house movement to produce very accurate results.

The lug width of the AVI-8 Flyboy Engineer Automatic Peanuts Snoopy Flying Ace is a rather standard 22 mm. That means the watch has the ability to accept nearly endless aftermarket straps if the brown and sky blue stock leather strap isn't something you want to wear all the time. The strap is nice and supple, but still rather thick. It didn't take more than one wear to have the strap be extremely comfortable and form nicely to my wrist. The top of the strap is done in natural brown leather with brown stitching on each side. The keepers are done in a high contrast sky blue which matches the sides and backing of the strap. The strap tapers down to 18 mm at the branded brushed stainless steel pin buckle complete with a beefy 4 mm wide pin. The back of the strap is also engraved with images of Snoopy, Woodstock, a paw print and AVI-8.



I also need to mention the packaging of the Flying Ace is rather novel. Instead of coming in a standard watch box, the Flying Ace is packaged inside of Snoopy's red doghouse. It's a fun touch and the watch also includes a UV flashlight that allows you to see the hidden dial and crown details.

On The Wrist

The Flying Ace wore near perfect on my 7.25 inch wrist with a 55 mm flat area. The 48.9 mm lug to lug length is a bit shorter than my preferred 50 length, but given the amount of character, no pun intended, present on the dial, it had a ton of wrist presence. The watch covered most of my wrist and there was naturally no lug overhang. The thickness of the case is fairly propionate to the case size and the curvature of the lugs helped the watch form to my wrist nicely.



With a weight of only 80 grams, the Flying Ace pretty much disappeared on wrist as well. The watch was never on my mind when wearing it except when I wanted to check the time or look at the fun dial. Even after wearing the Flying Ace for hours at a time, it never gave a hint of wrist fatigue. The watch was just a great wrist companion for running everyday errands as well.

The beige leather strap with sky blue highlights did clash a bit with my everyday wear of a black t-shirt, shorts and sneakers. The dial is more subtle with whites and greys being the predominant color palette. With the Flyboy having a standard lug width, changing the strap to something a bit more monotone like a black Marine Nationale parachute style strap would make the watch fit in better with my normal dress.



I do have to say that I looked at the dial of the Flyboy Engineer Automatic Peanuts Snoopy Flying Ace more than just about any watch I own personally or have had in to review recently. Most of the watches I have on my wrist are very serious pieces, so having a dial that is so playful is a welcome treat. To me the seconds hand scarf is by far the most interesting aspect of the dial, but I do love movement on dials. The depth and different planes the hands exist on are the next most visually interesting thing to me. I grew up with Snoopy, but wouldn't say I'm the biggest fan. That being said I do fully understand his importance when it comes to aviation and why he's been included on so many watches. I'm also a huge fan of the Gerald Genta Mickey Mouse watches, and this Flyboy is a great throwback to those with the hands being represented by arms.

To test the legibility of a watch, I use a simple test where I try to see how easy it is to tell the time at just a glance while driving. In this test, dive watches do the best with their high contrast dials and large hour markers. Complicated and skeleton watches do the worst since they don't put the most emphasis on design. Pilots watches do well most of the time, so I expected the Flying Ace to do rather well. My suspicions were correct and telling the time at just a glance was rather quick. The hands do not have a definitive point, so that does slow you down a bit. The hands and hour makers do contrast well with the grey dial color though. With so much lume used on the dial, low light time telling is also a breeze. I do have to say the fully lumed Snoopy is a bit of a good distraction though.



While wearing the watch out to run errands and also to dinner and drinks I noticed the Flying Ace was getting a lot of looks. I had a few people comment on the watch and most just loved that Snoopy's arms moved and made up the hour and minute hands. Everyone also got a kick out the of the moving red seconds hand that made up of Snoopy's scarf.When it comes to price, everyone I told the price of the Flying Ace to was blown away.

Value and Position in the Market

Speaking of price, the AVI-8 Flyboy Engineer Automatic Peanuts Snoopy Flying Ace retails for an incredibly low $330. For that price you're getting a very unique looking piece tied into one of the most important mascots in aviation history. While having the hands represented by arms and a scarf isn't a complication, it's really something different you never see. Now is the time in the review were we compared to the Flying Ace to other watches with similar specifications and features to see how the watch holds up in terms of value.



Up first we have the Marlin Automatic Peanuts Snoopy Flying Ace from Timex which has a 40 mm stainless steel case. The Marlin is a more traditional watch with common slim hands. Snoopy's "Flying Ace" is only present as an image on the dial of the beagle piloting his dog house. The watch is powered by an automatic movement and has the same 50 meters of water resistance as the AVI-8. The Marlin is nearly the same price as the Flyboy at $329.

Next up we have the Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch Mission to the Moonphase New Moon which has a 42 mm case crafted out of Bioceramic. The MoonSwatch is powered by a Swiss made quartz chronograph movement and only has a splash proof 30 meters of water resistance. The MoonSwatch features Snoopy on the double Moonphase and also has hidden UV dial elements. The MoonSwatch isn't as rugged a watch as something produced in a traditional case material and cost a bit less than the Flyboy at $320.



Moving on is the Goodwoof x Bamford London Beagle Scout Snoopy which has a 40 mm titanium case. George Bamford has always loved Snoopy and had does many watches featuring the beagle. The Beagle Scout has the hour and minute hands represented by Snoopy's Arms like the Flyboy and has the GMT tipped hand with Woodstock. The Beagle GMT is powered by a Sellita automatic movement and features 100 meters of water resistance. The Beagle GMT is a good deal more expensive than the Flyboy at around $2,400.

Finally we have the Speedmaster Anniversary Silver Snoopy Award from Omega which has a 42 mm stainless steel case. The watch features astronaut Snoopy on the 9 o'clock sub-dial as well as an animated Woodstock in a rocket on the caseback. The Speedmaster is powered by an in-house hand-wound movement with 50 hours of power reserve and features 50 meters of water resistance like the Flyboy. The Speedmaster is much more expensive than the Flyboy at $11,900 and is extremely hard to purchase at retail with long waitlists.



Looking at the above four watches, you can see that the AVI-8 Flyboy Engineer Automatic Peanuts Snoopy Flying Ace is an exceptional value for what you get. The Flying Ace might also be the most detailed and lively of the five watches as well. Since Snoopy is a comic/cartoon character that is what should be expected and fitting for a watch featuring the iconic beagle on the dial.

Closing Thoughts

So in the end, is the AVI-8 Flyboy Engineer Automatic Peanuts Snoopy Flying Ace for me? Why I do love what AVI-8 has done with the integration of Snoopy into the Flyboy model, I'm just not the target audience for the watch. I prefer my watches to be bold with a splash of color or unique case material. My wife on the other hand just loved the watch and grabbed it as soon as it came in. I must also be in the minority, since the first collaboration between Peanuts and AVI-8 sold out in no time, and as of writing, this new collaboration between the two had sold out in less than an hour.



As a watch, the Flying Ace excels with a very accurate automatic movement and case dimensions that are fairly close to where I like my watches to be. The highly domed sapphire crystal and depth of the dial make Snoopy and his arms and scarf really come to life as well. The lumed elements are super fun, as are the hidden UV items. AVI-8 just knows how to build a quality watch and the Flying Ace is a great example of that.

Would I then recommend the Flying Ace to a Snoopy fan or somebody looking for a lighthearted unique watch? I really would without hesitation, especially at the original $330 retail price. The Flying Ace is really one of the better executions of a Snoopy watch that I've seen. I showed the watch to a couple of friends that have Omega Speedmasters featuring Snoopy and they were fans of the watch as well. On the secondhand market, the first collaboration between Peanuts and AVI-8 are going for multiple times over retail, so I have no doubt these new second collaboration pieces will as well. Is the watch worth two or more times its retail price? That's really down to the personal collector to decide, at twice the retail I'd say they are. Past that it comes down more to desirability and wanting to own something rare. With the success of this and the first collaboration with Peanuts, I'm sure a third collaboration will be coming in due time. So if you're a fan of this release and don't want to pay the secondhand markup, make sure you stay up to date with AVI-8 on social media to get alerted about any upcoming Peanuts collaborations.



I'd really like to thank AVI-8 for sending us this Flyboy Engineer Automatic Peanuts Snoopy Flying Ace to review. It was an unexpected surprise and turned out to be one of the most interesting watches we've had in to review. The Flyboy was another super solid release from the brand and I can't wait to see what's next from AVI-8. I'm sure we'll have something in sooner or later from the brand to review, so keep an eye out.

For more information about the Flyboy Engineer Automatic Peanuts Snoopy Flying Ace please visit : AVI-8

Technical Specifications

Reference Number: AV-4133-03

Retail Price: $330

Case Size: 41.1 mm

Lug to Lug: 48.9 mm

Thickness: 14.6 mm

Weight: 80 grams

Case Material: Stainless Steel

Bezel: Stainless Steel

Strap: Brown and Blue Leather Strap with a Stainless Steel Pin Buckle

Movement: Japanese Made NH35 Automatic Movement

Functions: Hours, Minutes, Seconds and Date

Power Reserve: 41 Hours

Water Resistance: 50 Meters