Our love of vintage Seiko notwithstanding, we’ve had some fun sharing some of our favorites from other brands within the last couple rounds. It’s a new approach for us and one we hope to continue as opportunities allow. This round we have chosen a piece that represents the birth of one of our favorite styles: the dive watch. Along with the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, the Zodiac Sea Wolf shared the stage at Basel Fair in 1953 as the first commercially available dive watch. It was an immediate success, and by the late 1960’s was a favorite of GI’s deployed to Vietnam. Zodiac boasted that their Sea Wolf was the most popular watch in 3/4’s of the world, alluding to the fact that 75% of the Earth’s surface was underwater. Professional and amateur diver’s bought them in droves giving validity to that claim. The first dive watch with a rotating bezel, that feature became a high point in the design of the Sea Wolf when the 1970’s brought bright Bakelite bezels in blue and white with black, white, and even orange highlights for the 1750 variants. These models are some of the most sought after as it’s nearly impossible not to want your very own after seeing one in the metal. This example is the white dial version with its signature triangular markers at the 12, 6, and 9. The broad Dauphine hands with “backbone” design splits the luminous material into two sides offering better stability and support. The movement is the 72B (built on an A. Schild base) which includes a date aperture. The date can be quickset by pressing the crown, and it has hacking seconds as well. It can be wound manually as well as automatically. The Bakelite bezel in baby blue and black with a luminous triangle at 12 is in fantastic condition. No cracks or breaks in the finish and only light wear is visible throughout. The bezel has knurled edges and can be rotated with a soft click in either direction against the original jewel bearing. The case is a classic design with long tapered lugs, and the mid-case hidden beneath the overlap of the bezel. The 72B is keeping fantastic time post service with all functions operating smoothly. A truly historic diver’s watch that we’re proud to put our stamp on.

Clockwork Synergy Olive Drab Double Layer Two-Piece RAF NATO (clockworksynergy.com)

Serviced-3/12/19

Diameter- 35.5mm

Lugs- 18mm