Jose Pereztroika recently debunked the fictitious history of the Zodiac Sea Wolf, inspiring me to look for additional context and information about this historic watch brand. Although it is difficult to say definitively that Zodiac did not produce a dive watch in 1953, there is a great deal of circumstantial evidence to suggest that they, like many other watchmakers, followed the trend set primarily by Rolex, jumping into the dive category at the Basel Fair in 1958. But the original Zodiac Sea Wolf had some interesting features, making a worthy historic model!
Certina DS-2: Alternative Dive Watch
I’ve written about this watch before, picking it as a “grail” even before I bought it. It’s a good example of the “DS” shock proof case from Certina and has good period details. I purchased this at auction (the only bid) with an incorrect modern box and papers.
Squale 1545: Classic Swiss Diver
Yesterday’s affordable Orient diver gives way today to an even better Swiss alternative: The Squale 1545 has heritage, provenance, classic looks, and serious Swiss construction. It’s the real deal, yet costs less than 1/10 as much as a Rolex Submariner.