Watch Overview Debut: Zodiac Sea-Chron Diver’s Chronograph

From the “Zodiac Archives” assortment comes a limited-production redo of the famed Zodiac Sea-Chron diver’s-style chronograph watch. For 2023, Zodiac introduces two dial variations of a brand new watch primarily based on the present and in style Tremendous Sea Wolf case, however thicker in dimension and containing an automated chronograph motion. Appropriately priced and engaging, these two watches will not be making an attempt to reinvent the chronograph or outline a brand new period of items for Zodiac however slightly are in response to lots of client demand to deliver again the Sea-Chron. Initially from the Sixties, the Zodiac Sea-Chron watches nonetheless look very engaging at the moment. Only recently I used to be dealing with a few of the authentic Sea-Chron timepieces and was impressed at how properly they held up. It makes complete sense that each Zodiac followers and the folks at Zodiac at the moment needed to deliver again the Sea-Chron — and right here it’s!

Zodiac is owned by the Fossil Group, and the Fossil Group owns the Swiss motion maker STP. Right now, STP doesn’t but have an in-house chronograph motion in the way in which that it has in-house three-hand automated actions. My understanding is that STP is engaged on a chronograph mechanism, however for now, Zodiac must work with different suppliers in Switzerland to be able to get actions. From a client perspective that shouldn’t be a problem in any respect. For the trendy Sea-Chron watches Zodiac opted to go together with Swiss Sellita and their SW510 B automated chronograph. I believe that could be a nice alternative for this product.

Sellita’s SW500 is their Valjoux 7750 automated “clone,” and the SW510 (SW510 B) is a variation on it with a 3,6, and 9 o’clock chronograph structure, in addition to a scarcity of an inset pusher to regulate the date. I say that as a result of many ETA chronographs with this structure require the usage of an annoying (for my part) pusher designed to right the date. None of that right here, and for the higher. In any other case, the efficiency of the SW510B has it working at 4Hz with 62 hours of energy reserve. The usual SW510 solely has 42 hours of energy reserve so the SW510B automated (there’s a manually wound model as properly) is an improve. I believe this was an awesome motion to make use of for a contemporary limited-production model of the Zodiac Sea-Chron.

Just like the Zodiac Tremendous Sea Wolf case, the Sea-Chron is 40mm-wide, however it’s appreciably thicker given the motion. The case is 16.5mm-thick with a 50.5mm lug-to-lug distance, and 200 meters of water resistance (not requiring screw-down chronograph pushers, although I’d not attempt to use the chronograph underwater). The additional thickness makes the case really feel bolder on the wrist, and it additionally has the next middle of gravity that can have an effect on the carrying expertise. I discovered the burden of this metal Sea-Chron to be so much when worn on the bracelet. So I opted to place it on a strap. That’s straightforward as a result of, like most different Zodiac watches, the bracelet on the Sea-Chron makes use of quick-release spring bars. The thicker case and heavier weight are what they’re, and actually, it simply signifies that (like most watches) the Sea-Chron will really feel nice on some wrists and never others.

Zodiac did lots of fancy structure work on the Sea-Chron case to make it look smaller than it’s, and likewise to make it put on extra comfortably. That makes it fairly completely different from the Tremendous Sea Wolf. First is the marginally thicker bezel, which additionally has a extra rounded bezel insert. Right here the bezel insert is manufactured from black ceramic (with lumed marker paint), which is an improve from the K1 mineral glass crystal topper on most Tremendous Sea Wolf bezel inserts. The Sea-Chron case’s lugs curve much more, and naturally the caseback is a little more rounded to be able to additional assist scale back visible mass. Using easy plunger-style pushers and a guard-less screw-down crown is about making the outside of the Sea-Chron as elegant and uncluttered as potential in order to take care of smallish dimensions.

The five-link bracelet that comes on the Sea-Chron is a now-standard a part of the Zodiac watch assortment. It has lots of advantages together with the micro-adjust consolation springs constructed into every finish of the butterfly-style deployant. Nevertheless, I discovered the tab-style pushers of the deployant to be on the sharper facet and would have typically favored extra delicate edges in the case of the bracelet and sure components of the case backside. This can be a bigger refinement concern that can in all probability come sooner or later as Zodiac produces extra of the Sea-Chron instances; I presume it should as a result of that is such a beautiful timepiece assortment.

Zodiac did the most effective work on the Sea-Chron dials. There are two variations to begin, and so they characterize the Zodiac reference ZO3604 with a “reverse panda” black and white dial, in addition to the pictured Sea-Chron reference ZO3605 with a blue dial and black subdials together with an identical black ceramic bezel insert. The dials all function multi-level designs together with a sandwich-style part for the hour marker’s luminant. The assorted ranges of the watch dial, flange ring, and fingers make the Sea-Chron each good-looking, but additionally really feel like a significant instrument by way of excessive quantities of legibility and visible logic that can assist you learn the data. Zodiac is actually not making an attempt to reinvent the wheel right here, however slightly to create a wearable and engaging redo of an archival Zodiac watch design that was initially from the Sixties. Folks searching for novelty and recent design might want to take a look at different Zodiac merchandise, however these searching for a extremely refined vintage-style diver’s-style sports activities chronograph watch will actually like what Zodiac did with the 2023 Sea-Chron.

Worth-wise, the Sea-Chron is about $1,000 USD greater than your typical metal Tremendous Sea Wolf watch. That’s about what you’d anticipate with the transfer to a mechanical chronograph motion, versus a time-only automated. With that stated, it does appear as if Zodiac is competing in price-point it isn’t usually accustomed to right here. Zodiac has performed on this value house earlier than with mechanical chronographs, however the firm admits that these larger value brackets will not be sometimes the place they compete. I consider that Zodiac can simply get away with promoting a high-value particular chronograph or different “complication” watch from time to time, however that it might in any other case be a mistake for the model to shift an excessive amount of consideration away from the $2,000 and below value level. The Sea-Chron is a stunning assortment that ought to be additional explored by the collector fanatic, however it isn’t the place I believe Zodiac as a model goes (for the higher). That stated, whereas Zodiac stays robust within the $1,000 to $2,000 value level, there are nonetheless alternatives for Zenith to come back out with particular watches just like the Sea-Chron that break the same old value level as a result of Zodiac is providing one thing very nice at an in any other case good worth when in comparison with the competitors. There are different good sports activities chronographs on the market at this value level, however in a retail setting the place Zodiac is commonly bought, most competitor manufacturers don’t actually provide something just like the Sea-Chron till you begin to spend over $3,000 USD. Worth for the Zodiac Sea-Chron reference ZO3604 and ZO3605 chronograph watches is $2,495 USD every. Study extra on the Zodiac watches web site.