1960's Serviced Vintage Zodiac Chronograph Zodia-Chron Valjoux 72 Hermetic Box

Built for all manner of adventure, Zodiac watches date back to 1882 when Ariste Calame founded his own watch company in Le Locle, Switzerland. A perfectionist, Calame knew that to make a great watch he had to control all facets of manufacturing--from design to the tools used to make the timepieces. The company earned an international reputation for quality and innovation over the years with several key accomplishments, including launching the first Swiss-made automatic sports watch in 1930 and the invention of a patented new system of shock resistant cases in 1974.

Over the years, Zodiac came to focus on rugged yet stylish sports watches, many with military-inspired attributes. After being purchased by Fossil in 2001, Zodiac returned to many of the vintage designs of the 1950s and 1960s when its diving watches were highly prized and its Sea Wolf model was the official watch of the Navy Seals.

From the strikingly colorful palette that infuses Zodiac's caoutchouc rubber strap assortment with a daring fashion flare to the rugged oversized cases that define the Super Sea Dragon line, today's Zodiac timepieces incorporate impeccable Swiss craftsmanship and an unerring attention to detail--just as they have every year since 1882.

Our most famous race-inspired watch, developed with all the craftsmanship, precision, technical design and high-performance elements used in real motor sports. The stainless-steel and titanium case features a carbon fiber dial with super-luminova accents. We left the lugs exposed and created pushers perforated to look like actual pedals for a truly race-inspired experience. The genuine rubber strap ensures a durable (and comfortable) fit. The case back of the Racer boasts a design based on a race car's air holes.

Zodiac is a brand whose roots go back to the 19th century, when it was founded by Ariste Calame; however, it enjoyed its greatest period of success after the debut of a wristwatch that would foreshadow things to come. Now considered to be among the first purpose-driven dive watches, the Sea Wolf’s sturdy construction and 660 foot depth rating endeared it to U.S. soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War. The Sea Wolf ushered in a unique design aesthetic for Zodiac, prompting the brand to create watches for purposes outside of the aquatic ones for which the Sea Wolf was designed. Starting in the late 1960s, the brand turned its attention to releasing chronographs that could be used in a multitude of environments. One of these wast this watch, the Zodia-Chron. The script on the dial—“hermetic”—signifies that the Zodia-Chron, like the Sea Wolf, was no fair weather watch. It could dive, but it could also be used above the waves as well. Or on the race course, for timing laps using the fixed tachymeter bezel similar to that found on the Omega Speedmaster Professional, or doing barrel rolls high above land. The Zodia-Chron would undergo several changes throughout its run, ultimately metamorphosing into the Sea-Chron with its signature rotating bezel. Powered by the famous Valjoux 72 movement, used by the Heuer Autavia, Rolex Daytona, etc. 

This is a beauty. It is very rare to find a watch this old with original box. Defiantly a collector watch. Please look at all the pictures, as they are part of the description. The watch is working and Serviced by the last owner. This is a highly collectible watch. Very few left with this rare movement. Sure, to increase in value overtime, and a great addition to your collection. The condition of the watch is the same as it appears in the photos.  The watch is working  and is part of our new Certified Pre-Owned CPO Program. Contact me if you have any questions first.

Zodiac got a reputation for producing sturdy tool watches after the launch of the Sea Wolf, a favorite of soldiers for its excellent water-resistance. With the Zodia-Chron, Zodiac offered a very seducing chronograph with a stunning silvered stepped dial. The 37mm case is larger than the standards of the time, while the fixed tachymeter bezel is comparable to the “Dot Over Ninety” found on vintage Omega Speedmasters.