Why We Love It

Hang around a gaggle of watch folk long enough and the conversation will undoubtedly, at some point, turn to chronographs.  And like the adage states, opinions about which is the best are like…well…let’s just say that everyone’s got one.

But if you started with a blank piece of paper and asked one of the opinionated to jot down the qualities that make the perfect chrono, it would probably look something like this: a Valjoux drivetrain, 37-39mm steel case, pump pushers, fixed tachymeter bezel and a clean but sporty dial.  

The Zodiac Zodia-Chron may not have landed on the moon, completed hot laps at Daytona International Speedway or even guided Allied bomber squadrons, but it’s got all the characteristics of the watches that did, right down to the ever-reliable Valjoux 72 that powers it. 

From its sleek 38mm steel case with slightly angled lugs to its clean ‘Albino Panda’ triple-register dial and fixed Dot-over-90 aluminum tachymeter bezel, the Zodia-Chron checks the boxes easily.  Add in subtleties like the red hash marks on the rehaut, the slightly smaller hour register and crosshair crown, you’ve got a chronograph that punches well above its weight class.

The Story 

Zodiac is an old brand that's enjoying new life under new ownership. Fossil, its current owners, understand the tremendous staying power of classic designs such as the Sea Wolf. As far as the genuine article is concerned, vintage collectors are now seeing the value of these stunning and sporty watches. 

With roots going back to the late 19th century, the brand that would come to be known as Zodiac distinguished itself from its earliest days with some impressive technical feats. They produced flat pocket watches in the 1920s, some of the industry's earliest automatic watches in the 1930s, and power-reserve complications in the 1940s. As the intention of Ariste Calame when founding Zodiac was to specialize in the production of complicated movements, it’s no surprise that the lineage of technical expertise would live on throughout the brand’s history.

Zodiac is perhaps best-known in today's vintage market for their chronographs, often referred to as "Poor Man's Heuers" because Heuer often manufactured these watches and gave them to Zodiac for rebranding. Another popular watch from this period is the Sea Wolf, known for its slim case (unusual for a diver) and rotating bezel.