Zodiac Sea Wolf (incoming)

Annapolis · Mar 9, 2023

After months of dithering (looking at Seikos and Orises, and even flirting with some preowned Omegas and Tudors, as well as other watches from Zodiac), I landed on this Super Sea Wolf 53. (See full specs, etc here.) Wanted something in the 1k to 1500 price-point for when I don't want to or shouldn't wear my AT.

Still honeymooning, of course, but really enjoying it! Very slender---vintage proportions and styling---a fine 120-click aluminum bezel (which I usually prefer to ceramic), and some really insane orange-ish lume, both on the dial and the bezel, with the 12,3,6,9 in relief.

The factory-supplied rubber strap is very high quality (and I don't just mean for the Fossil Group; it feels more supple than Omega OEM straps I've had), but not to my liking---I put it on a brown leather Hadley Roma, going for sort of a Tudor BB58 vibe, and I think it works well.

The pebbly texturing on the dial is only visible in very bright lighting, but another nice touch!

Anyway, thought I'd share.

JwRosenthal · Mar 9, 2023

Annapolis
After months of dithering (looking at Seikos and Orises, and even flirting with some preowned Omegas and Tudors, as well as other watches from Zodiac), I landed on this Super Sea Wolf 53. (See full specs, etc here.) Wanted something in the 1k to 1500 price-point for when I don't want to or shouldn't wear my AT.

Still honeymooning, of course, but really enjoying it! Very slender---vintage proportions and styling---a fine 120-click aluminum bezel (which I usually prefer to ceramic), and some really insane orange-ish lume, both on the dial and the bezel, with the 12,3,6,9 in relief.

The factory-supplied rubber strap is very high quality (and I don't just mean for the Fossil Group; it feels more supple than Omega OEM straps I've had), but not to my liking---I put it on a brown leather Hadley Roma, going for sort of a Tudor BB58 vibe, and I think it works well.

The pebbly texturing on the dial is only visible in very bright lighting, but another nice touch!

Anyway, thought I'd share.

Nice! The GMT they did as an LE for Dinky has always tempted me- just an upsized version of the vintage one (and at 40mm would be spot on for the form factor as the original 35mm was small). Of course though it was released as an LE…ugh.

Annapolis · Mar 9, 2023

You know--it's weird. They seem to do everything in predetermined numbered runs, even when not (strictly speaking) LEs. Like this one: it's #161 of 500 pieces. Not sure why they pin themselves down like that, but I guess it adds an element of attractive scarcity to the watch.

Many of their diver offerings are very acquirable tastes: the bright watermelon-like colors and glossy whites and stuff. I don't think I'm the right person for those watches, even if I can admire them from a distance. But yeah, in the mix, they have a few really compelling pieces. This one just sang to me. I did have to look past the black rubber strap and imagine other possibilities. It's like buying a house or apartment: you need to imagine what it'll look like with your stuff, and with freshly repainted walls or new carpeting. 😀 Not always the easiest thing to do.

JwRosenthal · Mar 9, 2023

Being an avid vintage Seawolf lover, I was a little disappointed by some of their re-issues. They had an opportunity to really dominate the diver reissue market- legendary reputation, iconic designs- all they had to do was a 1:1 reissue and upsize just a touch. But they chose to “modernize” many of them and missed the mark.

^^^ Hey Zodiac, see these- just do this at 39-40mm- easy-peazy.

Annapolis · Mar 9, 2023

Yeah, this one is 39, and that's spot-on perfect.

...If Omega ever reissues the 135.xxx Seamaster technical dial in 37-40mm, I'll be standing outside the OB with a bag of cash.

Dsloan · Mar 9, 2023

JwRosenthal
Being an avid vintage Seawolf lover, I was a little disappointed by some of their re-issues. They had an opportunity to really dominate the diver reissue market- legendary reputation, iconic designs- all they had to do was a 1:1 reissue and upsize just a touch. But they chose to “modernize” many of them and missed the mark.

^^^ Hey Zodiac, see these- just do this at 39-40mm- easy-peazy.

The vintage models are super cool. I didn't realize how nice they were until I saw your collection at the meetup.

Reissues are tricky. It seems tough to get companies to have fun with an update without deviating too much from the original. I feel like Bulova is doing them right - keep it roughly 1:1, add a modern movement, and then have fun with the colorways.

Dsloan · Mar 9, 2023

Annapolis
some really insane orange-ish lume, both on the dial and the bezel, with the 12,3,6,9 in relief.

You got any good pics of the lume? I don't know why, but I'm really in love with fully lumed bezels lately.

JwRosenthal · Mar 9, 2023

Dsloan
The vintage models are super cool. I didn't realize how nice they were until I saw your collection at the meetup.

Reissues are tricky. It seems tough to get companies to have fun with an update without deviating too much from the original. I feel like Bulova is doing them right - keep it roughly 1:1, add a modern movement, and then have fun with the colorways.

The biggest issue with upsized reissues is usually proportions- they may get the “spirit” of the watch but miss on the details. Some of the Seawolf reissues they did the sizing well, but the markers, lettering, placement- just not quite right. Also the dome crystals are a big deal- they give the watch that vintage feel and there is no reason to not use a double dome sapphire.
The Bulova 666 reissues they screwed on the sizing- they went up to 44 originally rather than keep them at 41mm (they corrected that for the orange and the LE models were indeed 41mm so not sure why they went up for the mass production).
But, the ufo case wears smaller than the size conveys (the bezel is actually about 40mm) when you look at the original 666 vs the reissue, Bulova actually nailed dial proportions- so much so that the new 44’m actually has a more appealing dial as it’s less crowded than the original.

Annapolis · Mar 9, 2023

Dsloan
You got any good pics of the lume? I don't know why, but I'm really in love with fully lumed bezels lately.

If you click the link in my original post, you can see Zodiac’s own lume pic which is definitely better than any I could take. The lumed bezel is a really cool feature for sure. I would say: the lume on this watch isn’t super bright or long lasting the way an Omega’s is. But when it’s going, it’s really special.

Watch my Whisky · Mar 9, 2023

Zodiac do be putting out some nice stuff lately. I’m really liking the sea wolf pan am.

TrboDieselPwrd · Mar 9, 2023

Congratulations on the new watch, it’s lovely! I think Zodiac really nailed it with their SSW 53 lineup in terms of the modern/vintage vibe. 39mm and wears like a dream with those down-turned lugs. Been really close to buying one of these myself so interested to hear how you’re getting on with it! Enjoy!

Annapolis · Mar 15, 2023

One week (or so) on, still happy with the watch but I will say: I’m a bit surprised at how short lived the (albeit very cool) lume is. After a couple minutes (following a full charge) it’s entirely useless. Not a huge issue for me, but I would expect better at this price point.

Ah well.

Timekeeping seems to be about +6 seconds per day, which is very acceptable—and I’ll take a slightly fast watch over a slow one any day. Winding is a tad gritty, and it’s not very easy to engage the screw-down after setting—you have to align the threading just-so.

Maybe another way to say this: it’s not a modern Omega. I’ll remember this next time I find myself questioning why Omega watches are so expensive. (They are—but you do get something for your money… usually.)

Dsloan · Mar 15, 2023

Annapolis
One week (or so) on, still happy with the watch but I will say: I’m a bit surprised at how short lived the (albeit very cool) lume is. After a couple minutes (following a full charge) it’s entirely useless. Not a huge issue for me, but I would expect better at this price point.

I'm not sure that's a fault of the price point. I think the red/orange lume compounds just aren't as bright or long-lasting as the green/blue versions.

I feel you on the slings and arrows that sometimes come with watches in this price point - so many fun designs but also so many minor flaws with fit and finish.

Annapolis · Apr 21, 2023

Picked up the OEM jubilee-style bracelet and really dig how it suits this watch. A nice summer option.

JwRosenthal · Apr 21, 2023

Annapolis
Picked up the OEM jubilee-style bracelet and really dig how it suits this watch. A nice summer option.

Nice. I am a bracelet guy so I’m biased, but I always feel a watch isn’t complete unless it has a bracelet. If a factory option is/was available, I have to have it (and with some vintage pieces I have paid more for the bracelet than the watch). If one wasn’t offered, then I need to find a period correct option. Even if I always wear a watch on leather- if there was a bracelet for it- I have to have it

Annapolis · Apr 21, 2023

This is Zodiac's universal standard-issue bracelet: in fact, I think it's the only bracelet they currently make, and it's designed to fit all of their 20mm lug-width watches. Felt wrong not to have it as an option. I've never owned a jubilee-style before; had always admired the look, and now I have to say I'm a big fan. Really nice how it drapes the contours of the wrist. And the butterfly clasp on this one has a thoughtful feature where there's some elasticky/springy stretch on each side, so it's very forgiving as your wrist swells and shrinks throughout the day--no microadjust needed. (Pretty sure other brands have done this, but a first in my experience.)

Zodiac Sea Wolf (incoming)

Annapolis

JwRosenthal

Annapolis

JwRosenthal

Annapolis

Dsloan

Dsloan

JwRosenthal

Annapolis

Watch my Whisky

TrboDieselPwrd

Annapolis

Dsloan

Annapolis

JwRosenthal

Annapolis

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