Zodiac is a brand most of us are already familiar with, so we thought it best to showcase them through a specific watch that represents one of their most popular collections, the Super Sea Wolf Pro-Diver. Inspired by the initial design from the ‘50s, this particular timepiece is equipped with some modern features and elements resulting in an evergreen classic dive watch. Let’s take a closer look!
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Specs:
- Ref # ZO3552
- Movement: Automatic
- Caliber: Sellita SW200
- Power Reserve 38 hours
- Case Width: 42 mm
- Lug-to-Lug Distance: 50 mm
- Price: Under $2,000
Zodiac: The Brand
In 1882, Ariste Calame, following in his father’s footsteps as a watchmaker, established a workshop with the ambitious goal of crafting the most accurate timepiece ever made. Calame’s dedication resulted in the creation of the inaugural Zodiac, a distinctive pocket watch that laid the groundwork for a series of horological marvels from Swiss watchmakers. Thanks to its exceptional quality and innovative features, Calame’s brand swiftly rose to prominence, becoming one of Switzerland’s most rapidly expanding enterprises.
Ariste Calame secured the rights to the Zodiac name, officially branding his products in 1908. At this time, Zodiac begins producing its own unique calibers and movements, integral components in the assembly of their pocket watches.
The first Sea Wolf was created in 1953, one of the first serious diver watches manufactured for the masses. Several variations came out in the following decades, until the early 2000’s, when the Fossil Group acquired Zodiac in 2001. Then, in the early 2010’s, Zodiac introduced new Sea Wolf models inspired by the original designs from the ‘50s.
Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Pro-Diver [Ref # ZO3552]: Overview
The Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Pro-Diver is an excellent example of using classic dive watch design elements combined with a few well placed modern twists to create a timeless design. Its 42 mm case width is not too small and not too big. The black sunray dial is paired with a black bezel, further extending the watch visually. No Roman or Arabic numerals are used for the dial, the only pop of color we have is the bright orange used for the minute hand. A versatile design that’s very straight-to-the-point, functionality remaining its focus, but at the same time possessing a flair of sophistication, making the Wolf Pro-Diver a very well rounded timepiece suited for even elegant occasions.
Specs:
- Ref # ZO3552
- Movement: Automatic
- Caliber: Sellita SW200
- Power Reserve 38 hours
- Case Width: 42 mm
- Lug-to-Lug Distance: 50 mm
- Price: Under $2,000
Dial
The black sunray dial gives a very serious overall look to the Super Sea Wolf Pro-Diver. The dial doesn’t have Arab or Roman numerals, instead geometric shapes are used as hour markers, and the 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock positions have bigger shapes, creating a horizontal and vertical axis across the dial of the watch. Interestingly, this cross shape created is similar to the Zodiac logo. We do not have a date window, however, the center of the watch doesn’t feel empty due to texture created by the sunray dial, and the wider plongeur hour and minute hands (plongeur means “diver” in French).
Additionally, the minute hand is made to pop by the use of a bright orange color, which gives the right amount of needed dynamism to the look – we’re talking about a sports watch after all.
Bezel
The high-polish, scratch resistant bezel has ceramic insert lume markers. The only Arab numeral we have is for the 30-minute marker, an understated design maintaining the symmetrical look as it’s counterbalancing the marker at the 60-minute mark.
The serrated design is of course essential for functionality purposes, but the overall look is more on the elegant side, which we absolutely love.
Case
The brushed stainless steel case is 42 mm wide, the lug-to-lug distance is 50 mm, and the thickness of the case is 14.3 mm. These dimensions make perfect sense for a dive watch, and even though it’s not the biggest dive watch out there, due to the 50 mm lug-to-lug distance, it might be just a bit too big for smaller wrists.
The Super Sea Wolf Pro-Diver is equipped with understated yet sturdy crown guards.
The case itself is slightly angular on the sides, strengthening the rugged look of the watch – it is after all a COS-C certified dive watch, with water resistance up to 300 meters.
Movement
The Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Pro-Diver has a very reliable SW200 caliber, an automatic movement provided by the Swiss Sellita. This is a 26-jewel movement with 38 hours of power reserve. It is a simple 3-hand movement, with no date function.
Stainless Steel Bracelet
The 7-link stainless steel bracelet is a somewhat surprising choice, as usually we see the very safe and sporty oyster stainless steel bracelet solution, or the jubilee that is more of an elegant choice. This 7-link bracelet design is somewhere in between the two, as it combines traditional elegance with a functional, comfortable wear. The lug width is 20 mm.
Pros and Cons
Let’s take a look at the summary of pros and cons, in our humble opinion:
Pros
- Great design from Zodiac, based on their model from the ‘50s and incorporating some classic elements.
- Very serious look due to the black dial and bezel.
- Reliable automatic Swiss movement.
Cons:
- Might be too big for smaller wrists.
- The 14.3 mm case thickness is to be expected, but it might not be the most comfortable wear under your shirt’s cuff.
Summary: Takeaway and Final Thoughts About Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Pro-Diver
Zodiac is a brand with an impressive history in the watchmaking world, and we’re happy to see they’re using their traditional designs as a source of inspiration, rather than just reissuing them without significant updates.
The Super Sea Wolf Pro-Diver is a classic dive watch, its black sunray dial and black bezel creates a very serious look, which is paired with a pop of bright orange color for the minute hand, resulting in just the right amount of visual dynamism.
It has a versatile design, you can easily dress the Super Sea Wolf Pro-Diver up or down, which makes it an excellent everyday watch as well.
Specs:
- Ref # ZO3552
- Movement: Automatic
- Caliber: Sellita SW200
- Power Reserve 38 hours
- Case Width: 42 mm
- Lug-to-Lug Distance: 50 mm
- Price: Under $2,000
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