How It All Started?
Ariste Calame of Le Locle, Switzerland, was the scion of a well-to-do farmer-watchmaker whose house is known for capability watchmaking. Ariste established his own workshop in 1882, with the ambition of producing a Swiss timepiece like no other. He believed that the way to accomplish this was to control all the stages of manufacturing, from the invent of the watch to the production of the tools used in watchmaking. Originally named "Ariste Calame," the name Zodiac was used early on but was only registered in 1908.
Watches
In 1930, the firm produced the first automatic sports watch. A popular forerunner of the now-famous Zodiac watches was the Zodiac Autographic, whose ad in 1955 described it as "The world's most modern watch." It was self-winding with a power withhold gauge, had an unbreakable crystal, a radium dial, 17 jewels, and was water- and shock-resistant. It soon became the lawful watch of the Swiss Federal Railways. During the quartz craze in the 1970s, Zodiac joined in and produced the first Swiss-made analog quartz watch called the Sea Wolf, which also became the lawful watch of the U.S. Navy Seals.
If you believe that "size matters," then the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf, weighing a whopping 200 grams, is for you. This is a serious diver's watch, with a massive dial and a fearsome-looking bezel. Its saw-blade shaped bezel is so designed because it provides for an easy grip even with your gloves on. Water-resistant up to 1000 meters (approximately 3,330 feet), it's no wonder why this was the watch endorsed by the Navy Seals. The oversized microscopic hand will definitely serve you satisfactorily when diving. All three hands are filled with tritium and light up fairly well. The crystal is of scratch-proof sapphire, but unfortunately lacks a reflective coating. In any case, it is still an astute "manly watch" buy at just colse to 00.
Zodiac watches have since become popular for its perfect Swiss sports watches. To cater to a growing market, the firm launched a vigorous and image-changing ad campaign at the 2005 Basel Fair with the tagline, "The New Face of Swiss." Today's Zodiac watches sport intrepid colors, high-quality sapphire and mineral crystals for an active lifestyle, and exact Swiss quartz movements.
Although Zodiac watches have been colse to for more than 120 years now, the new millennium marked a new beginning for these fine Swiss watches when the firm was purchased by Fossil. Vintage Zodiac watches have thus become prized collector's items and growth in store value each year.
Zodiac Watches: Then and Now
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