UNBOX Presents: Popeye & Vintage-Inspired Timepieces at MINT Museum of Toys

MINT Museum of Toys is delighted to launch its latest UNBOX exhibition - UNBOX Presents: Popeye & Vintage-Inspired Timepieces.

Venue: MINT Museum of Toys
Dates: 29 Jul - 29 Oct 2022
Admission: from $15

UNBOX champions the heart and soul of private collectors, giving them the opportunity to showcase their craft, passion and love for vintage things - and MINT Museum of Toys is delighted to launch its latest UNBOX exhibition - UNBOX Presents: Popeye & Vintage-Inspired Timepieces.

Popeye Toys

MINT Museum of Toys has curated 2 of the most rare and valuable vintage Popeye toys within its collection for show - one of which is the Popeye & Olive Oyl Tank. Known to be one of the only known 5 pieces in the world till date, this toy from the 1950s is made from Japan by toy manufacturer Linemar and when battery operated, features Popeye appearing to lift the tank and moving it forward. The hatch on the turret of the tank also opens up to allow Olive Oyl’s head to emerge!

In April 2022, a Popeye and Olive Oyl Tank hit a world-record value of $105,000 USD at Milestone Auctions, a new world auction record for a Popeye toy. 

One of the earliest Popeye toys made in the early 1930s, this Popeye Heavy Hitter toy is a wind-up tin toy of Popeye playing a ‘high striker’ strength test carnival game. The sides of the base are decorated with a comic strip featuring Popeye as a boxer, on one occasion winning and knocking out a much bigger sized boxer representing his great super strength. The comic cartoon is signed by E.C Segar, the creator of Popeye. When wound up, Popeye lifts the hammer then drops it onto the base of the toy, causing a metal ball to fly up the stand and ring the bell at the top. This toy was recently valued at $11,400 USD in April 2022 against an initial estimate of $5000 - $6000 USD.

The NAVI x Popeye Jump Hour Watch

This exhibition is in collaboration with local artist and watch maker, Ivan Chua, founder of Vario, a vintage-inspired watch and accessory brand and will feature some of Vario’s most popular and conversational timepieces ever created since 2017.

One notable design to look out for - The NAVI x Popeye Jump Hour Watch, a rare complication that have an hour hand that does not sweep between the hours but ‘jumps’ to the next hour when the minute hand reaches 60 minutes, this complication makes it rare to find in an affordable watch.

The watch features immaculate details such Popeye’s iconic huge forearms and skinny upper arms with one acting as the long minute hand, making revolutions around the watch. On top of that, look out for another nautical touch - an optical lens sits as a water droplet, magnifying the ‘jumping hour’.

Other Timepieces

A collection of 1918 Trench Watches that pays homage to the World War I era and a series of Empire Art Deco watches inspired by elegant typography and bold designs of the 1930s is also on display at the exhibition, acting as a lens to part of history during eras long past.

Opening Hours

The exhibition is open to the public from 29 July Friday to 29 October Saturday 2022. Admission is part of the museum tickets. 

• Tue - Sun: 9.30 am - 6.30 pm