Thinking back to the good old days of the video store, there were three cartoon series that my siblings and I picked more than any others: Looney Tunes, The Simpsons, and The Pink Panther. And while the former two long-running shows have had many hundreds (and even thousands) of tie-in products well into the 2020s, Pink Panther doesn’t seem to hold nearly the same level of pop culture ubiquity these days. Still, that shade of Pepto Bismol pink, visible from space, immediately brings to mind the iconic theme song and mischievous hijinks of the titular Panther and his foe, the bumbling Inspector Clouseau. Seiko has taken up the Pink Panther mantle with a new limited edition Seiko 5 Sports watch, and the bright hue isn’t the only clue to be found.
Based on the classic and ever-popular SKX series, the Pink Panther edition’s most immediately recognizable trait is its bright pink dial, and matching pink bezel numerals and markings, which also feature the cartoon’s playful typeface, a welcome deviation from more straitlaced designs. At 38mm in diameter and 44.2mm lug-to-lug, the Pink Panther is a true sports watch. The pink dial sports a date window at 3 o’clock, LumiBrite on the hands and indexes, and a cheeky trail of paw prints climbing up the left side of the face. Inside is a 4R36 automatic movement with manual winding, featuring 41 hours of power reserve and a stop second hand function. All of this is visible through an opaque pink caseback that also features the Panther’s yellow eyes peering downwards, and the title card of the cartoon.
Like most tie-in watches, the Pink Panther relies just as heavily on presentation as it does on actual design and functionality. Included with the watch is a pink nylon strap with darker pink pawprints and the iconic phrase “WET PAINT”, along with a stainless steel bracelet option. The final touch is the box, which resembles the Little Man’s house in the process of being painted pink by the prankster panther. While I am not typically one for saving packaging, I can see the box itself becoming a display piece for fans of the cartoon, and its inclusion helps tie the collaboration together, and provides added value for the collector or mega-fan.
While I do enjoy Pink Panther as a childhood favorite, the modern niche of the cartoon does give this watch a narrower market than a more relevant tie-in might. Still, the allure of a bright pink Seiko 5 is not lost on me, and I suspect that a decent amount of buyers will be attracted by that alone. At the end of the day, a Seiko 5 is a Seiko 5; a fantastic watch at a great price. The Pink Panther details here are simply the cherry on top for fans of the show, or people looking for a watch that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
The Seiko 5 Sports Pink Panther is limited to 9,999 pieces, and retails for $450. Seiko
Elodie Townsend
2025-12-16 15:00:00