My wife gifted me a super Seawolf with the STP 3-13 movement for my 30th. I love it. Glad it has the new bracelet style too. The black with the ceramic bezel has my 👀
I just picked up the all stainless model today and let me say WOW! I have a 19.75cm wrist. It’s the perfect size and the bracelet has room to spare. I feel like it’s something 007 would wear. This watch is extremely high quality and looks so sleek. Again WOW!
Great video! I’m considering one of these. One thing I would have loved to see and expect from this channel is showing the actual line under a black light so I could have seen the difference between the two variants. everything else in the video was super informative!
I have the ZO9213 (the one with steel bezel). While it is a nice looking watch, the craftsmanship/finishing is rather basic. The watch diameter (without the bezel) is actually 38 mm. 39mm across the bezel. A plastic movement spacer is used to hold the STP movement inside the case, and it is a cheap-looking white plastic movement spacer. On mine, the alignment of the bezel markers between 30 & 45 minutes positions is a bit off (probably by about 1/2 of a minute, but noticeable). The Oyster style bracelet links cannot be removed to fit a wrist under 7", so if you have a smaller than 7" wrist, you may have to go with a rubber strap. You could use the micro-adjustments on the clasp to reduce the bracelet length further but it will make the clasp off-centred. The lume is completely muted (useless). I don't know why they went with the orange/brown glow on the lume. You won't be able to see the markers or hands in complete darkness, unless you charge the lume ahead of time, and even with that the lume will only glow for a very brief period. Having said all of the negative aspects of the watch, I still like it nonetheless. The 38 mm size is perfect for me, and lug to lug is rather compact (just over 46-mm). I like the overall design of the watch, particularly the compact case & the symmetrical dial design. It feels like a modern interpretation of the original. Despite the useless lume, you should still be able to tell time in most situations, unless you are in complete darkness.
I had that issue with the bracelet. My jeweler was only able to remove two links. And that's it! He said the band has no other removable links! It does not fit my 6.8 inch wrist.
I had a Sea Wolf from the 1960s with the silver bezel. It had a stainless steel bracelet that would stretch. I think that bracelet was made by champion. Unfortunately, someone doing some work in my house had some sticky fingers and that watch along with a vintage Omega and two Longines watches disappeared from my downstairs office several years ago. If I were to buy one I would buy the one with the silver bezel.
hello, congratulations on the video and the excellent examination of the two watches in question. I am in possession of the specimen with a black bezel, I was wondering if it would be possible to put a steel-colored bezel in case I wanted to change the look of the watch a little, thanks and congratulations again.
Wish these didnt have STP movements. I would buy one of these if I havent seen so many horror stories about STP movements! Great video as always, Teddy.
Zodiac also now offering another bracelet option, a jubilee deployant with double push release clasp. Wonder if Teddy you have handled that one, and what do you think, maybe the better choice than this stock bracelet??
hi jim, bought a super sea wolf in the summer with the jubilee deployant, lovely tapering bracelet that is almost "delicate" quite dressy. you must try though, mine is quick release at the lugs with a butterfly deployant. some seem to come with a fold over clasp on the same bracelet. yes its a little over priced, but if you love it , you love it, and i love it !
I picked a similar Zodiac SSW on rubber last week. Paid 570 euros second hand for an unworn watch in mint condition. The accuracy is within -1 to +1 per day. No alignment issues. The watch wears fairly compact for a 40 mm watch. The bezel has some amount of play and the lume could be a notch brighter but these are basically my only niggles. As I usually resell my watches after a couple of months/years, I always look for a good price to minimise losses. But if it were the one to keep, I would have no problem paying $1000 for it. It has as much heritage as Oris or Doxa (if not more), so the price seems justified.
Comprehensive review as always, thanks. Love the look and when I saw the lume I thought ‘buy, buy, buy!’ But that price isn’t justifiable for that movement IMHO.
I had one in the 70s. Love the triangle markers at 12, 3, 6, and 9. Glad these are still mechanicals with sapphire crystals. Would love a movement view even though we do not see it, not sure you are willing to crack one open as you would then have to pressure test when putting it back together, but maybe you have images of the movements available? Would love to see how much plastic is in these movements, jewels, finishing if any. I know plastic can even be a good material for shock tolerabce, corrosion resistance, and reduced cost - but I am sure many buyers would like to know.
I've watched this review several times now. The steel bezel model is such a gorgeous watch, that I have contemplated buying it several times even with all the flaws, that's how good looking I think it is. But in the end, even with all the history, the value proposition just isn't there. If it was at least 200€ cheaper then it would have been a much different story.
@@jeffd3802 I’d pull the trigger for under $600 all day long. It’s not the same quality as a Tudor, but it’s really good. Movement on mine is great, the handset and dial are gorgeous and it wears so slim on the wrist.
I love the design and always thinking about grabbing one of those but then looking at the price tag, I can't overlook the fact that Oris offers better alternatives at the same price range. I'd say these should be priced similarly to Christopher Ward divers - sub 1k
EXACTLY. I love zodiac styles and always wanted one. But holy hell, 1000-2000usd, no thank you. Oris is cheaper among so many other brands. I really hope they alter their price point in the future.
I really like the all-black Sea Wolf 53 with rubber strap but there's no way to try 1 here in Dubai so I'm concerned about after sales. It's abt $950 (1095 on Zodiac site) vs Seiko SPB125J1 Black Sumo which has is also blacked out and abt $850 on C24. I like the Zodiac's styling more so confused which one to go for
The Sea Wolf was released before the first Submariner. It's a great looking watch, especially in all steel color, yet Zodiac is a bit overpriced, by 15-20% I'd say. For that price one could get a Sinn, with a more reputable movement and QC, to name only one. When spending over a 1000 on a watch, one can be very picky given the options. Zodiac has a great catalog but needs to build more modern reputation before going over the 1000 euros/dollars price range for these. Some retailers do keep that in mind and I've seen 15% cuts just by showing interest for the piece.
The Z09201 super seawolf skin 53 is true to the original, while these two versions aren’t true to the original. While these two kinda look like the original seawolf, their hands are different.
Oh I feel like this is very important for consumers - the bracelet looks awesome - nice design especially the clasp. BUT It has a major flaw. If you set micro adjustment past the first position - like 2nd or 3rd( there are 4 total) if you slightly pull on the bottom part on the clasp, say you reach in your pocket- it will actually unclasp and fall. The clasp is highly compromised from the bottom. At least mine is. The bearings are small - steel I’m assuming and makes the bracelet feel cheap. The clasp it self can use a lot of improvement- it feels honestly cheap with that issue at hand. I got the Super Seawolf reference # ZO9206 - 10249 Cream dial with gold/ gilt hour inlays, needle seconds hand. and was shocked how big the dial is for the watch. This iteration is beautiful but I feel like it would have been visually look better at 38 mm case or 36mm The dial is really nice but since this version is very minimalistic and I wish it had the hollow arrow seconds hand. The ones showed her in this video would look better in person than mine does. I wanted this watch for about 2 or 3 years now and I’d give it a 7.8/10 and that’s with me getting it for 785$ almost like new with an extra strap. I still love it but if I had paid retail plus tax I’d probably return it.
I need one of these to show up preowned closer to $750-$1000 for me to justify this. For some reason $1300 seems like a lot, mostly the brand heritage you’re paying for I suspect. Love the look of the steel bezel version though.
Yes it’s french, probably meaning “white bread”, so similar to the English name Whitbread. No it’s not BLONPEN it’s BLONPAN, with emphasis on the short “ah” vowel at the end. TimedSquare presents a video on how to pronounce it as a native french speaker. Look it up on UA-cam. Ultimately tho the British and American pronunciations differ, just as they do for lots of words.
@@kelechinobi3085 not at all. The translation is exactly "white bread": BLANC (french speaking sort of BLON) et PAIN (french speaking PEN, not PAN, PAAN or PON.) BLANCPAIN c'est du blanc pain, pas du "blonpon, blonpan, blonpaaaan" du tout, excusez beaucoup et étudiez mieux. Merci.
still got my orignal from 1953! she still runs and keeps time and date wonderfully. bought by my granfather in occupied okinawa
Does your 1953 zodiac have the original strap, and if so is it stainless steel or rubber?
Wow!
the black bezel version is a killer! love these!
I see what you did there ;)
@@Radazure LOL, it's never been proven that he took his name from these watches, though he did use that logo to sign off his letters to the police.
I love the old school aesthetic of the 3, 6, 9 and 12 being embedded within the large triangular lume plots.
My wife gifted me a super Seawolf with the STP 3-13 movement for my 30th. I love it. Glad it has the new bracelet style too. The black with the ceramic bezel has my 👀
I just bought my self a super seawolf for my 31st birthday - that’s kinda funny😅
Heres a cool collection idea, every first watches of its category
I just picked up the all stainless model today and let me say WOW! I have a 19.75cm wrist. It’s the perfect size and the bracelet has room to spare. I feel like it’s something 007 would wear. This watch is extremely high quality and looks so sleek. Again WOW!
Is it worth the 570.00 it sells for new now.?
@@jeffd3802 Where are you seeing this new for $600? I don't see them under about $850.
Great video! I’m considering one of these. One thing I would have loved to see and expect from this channel is showing the actual line under a black light so I could have seen the difference between the two variants. everything else in the video was super informative!
I have the ZO9213 (the one with steel bezel). While it is a nice looking watch, the craftsmanship/finishing is rather basic. The watch diameter (without the bezel) is actually 38 mm. 39mm across the bezel.
A plastic movement spacer is used to hold the STP movement inside the case, and it is a cheap-looking white plastic movement spacer. On mine, the alignment of the bezel markers between 30 & 45 minutes positions is a bit off (probably by about 1/2 of a minute, but noticeable). The Oyster style bracelet links cannot be removed to fit a wrist under 7", so if you have a smaller than 7" wrist, you may have to go with a rubber strap. You could use the micro-adjustments on the clasp to reduce the bracelet length further but it will make the clasp off-centred.
The lume is completely muted (useless). I don't know why they went with the orange/brown glow on the lume. You won't be able to see the markers or hands in complete darkness, unless you charge the lume ahead of time, and even with that the lume will only glow for a very brief period.
Having said all of the negative aspects of the watch, I still like it nonetheless. The 38 mm size is perfect for me, and lug to lug is rather compact (just over 46-mm). I like the overall design of the watch, particularly the compact case & the symmetrical dial design. It feels like a modern interpretation of the original. Despite the useless lume, you should still be able to tell time in most situations, unless you are in complete darkness.
Thank you for your input.
I had that issue with the bracelet. My jeweler was only able to remove two links. And that's it! He said the band has no other removable links! It does not fit my 6.8 inch wrist.
Finally, I ve been waiting for weeks that someone will review the new Sea Wolves 😁
Would have been nice to see the lume though.
I didn't realize this was in 500 limited quantity, I appreciate my Super Sea Wolf even more now.
The SeaWolf and the 50 Fathoms were released in 1953. The Submariner in 1954.
I had a Sea Wolf from the 1960s with the silver bezel. It had a stainless steel bracelet that would stretch. I think that bracelet was made by champion. Unfortunately, someone doing some work in my house had some sticky fingers and that watch along with a vintage Omega and two Longines watches disappeared from my downstairs office several years ago. If I were to buy one I would buy the one with the silver bezel.
The black divers watch is superb.
Thank you for a great video. I just ordered mine today as a bday gift to myself. Super excited to get it
hello, congratulations on the video and the excellent examination of the two watches in question. I am in possession of the specimen with a black bezel, I was wondering if it would be possible to put a steel-colored bezel in case I wanted to change the look of the watch a little, thanks and congratulations again.
Wish these didnt have STP movements. I would buy one of these if I havent seen so many horror stories about STP movements! Great video as always, Teddy.
Zodiac also now offering another bracelet option, a jubilee deployant with double push release clasp. Wonder if Teddy you have handled that one, and what do you think, maybe the better choice than this stock bracelet??
hi jim, bought a super sea wolf in the summer with the jubilee deployant, lovely tapering bracelet that is almost "delicate" quite dressy. you must try though, mine is quick release at the lugs with a butterfly deployant. some seem to come with a fold over clasp on the same bracelet. yes its a little over priced, but if you love it , you love it, and i love it !
I have this watch with the jubilee. Bracelet is nice and quick release.
I picked a similar Zodiac SSW on rubber last week. Paid 570 euros second hand for an unworn watch in mint condition. The accuracy is within -1 to +1 per day. No alignment issues. The watch wears fairly compact for a 40 mm watch. The bezel has some amount of play and the lume could be a notch brighter but these are basically my only niggles. As I usually resell my watches after a couple of months/years, I always look for a good price to minimise losses. But if it were the one to keep, I would have no problem paying $1000 for it. It has as much heritage as Oris or Doxa (if not more), so the price seems justified.
Comprehensive review as always, thanks. Love the look and when I saw the lume I thought ‘buy, buy, buy!’ But that price isn’t justifiable for that movement IMHO.
I had one in the 70s. Love the triangle markers at 12, 3, 6, and 9. Glad these are still mechanicals with sapphire crystals. Would love a movement view even though we do not see it, not sure you are willing to crack one open as you would then have to pressure test when putting it back together, but maybe you have images of the movements available? Would love to see how much plastic is in these movements, jewels, finishing if any. I know plastic can even be a good material for shock tolerabce, corrosion resistance, and reduced cost - but I am sure many buyers would like to know.
super cool, though would like to see the movement inside the modern versions
i have 001/500 of the stainless on my wrist. didn't know they were limited duh!
Any chance of having the rubber dial on a bracelet?
I love this watch. Thanks for the review!
I've watched this review several times now. The steel bezel model is such a gorgeous watch, that I have contemplated buying it several times even with all the flaws, that's how good looking I think it is. But in the end, even with all the history, the value proposition just isn't there. If it was at least 200€ cheaper then it would have been a much different story.
The black version can be found now for about $770. That’s cheaper than Oris by a mile.
@@richardwarren2024Just purchased the steel bezel zo9213 for $608 brand new on sale. A no brainer at that price, I was tempted to buy two!
@richardwarren2024 now their under 600 new. Is that worth it? Heard it's made by fossil and it's not the same quality as the old zodiac brand.
@@jeffd3802 I’d pull the trigger for under $600 all day long. It’s not the same quality as a Tudor, but it’s really good. Movement on mine is great, the handset and dial are gorgeous and it wears so slim on the wrist.
@@jeffd3802not made by fossil. Original factory still just owned by them
Really good looking watch with the rubber strap. Would love to see it below $1000.
In 2-3 years.Previous gen is obtainable for 800-900€ here in Europe
I just picked one up for $558 brand new, the black bezel can be had for even less on flash sale!
I love the design and always thinking about grabbing one of those but then looking at the price tag, I can't overlook the fact that Oris offers better alternatives at the same price range. I'd say these should be priced similarly to Christopher Ward divers - sub 1k
I’ve seen zodiacs with quite a bit of quality control issues too. It’s a shame as I was looking strongly at their GMT
EXACTLY. I love zodiac styles and always wanted one. But holy hell, 1000-2000usd, no thank you. Oris is cheaper among so many other brands. I really hope they alter their price point in the future.
@@jessepolitis4727 Oris is not cheaper.
@@markuzet1 let me rectify. SOME Oris are cheaper.
I've had 3 Zodiacs and an Oris Diver 65. The quality was pretty much the same as were the prices.
is it me or the dial has serious QC issues? Markers not lining up for example? It was mentioned on other youtuber video fyi
Great video
I really like the all-black Sea Wolf 53 with rubber strap but there's no way to try 1 here in Dubai so I'm concerned about after sales. It's abt $950 (1095 on Zodiac site) vs Seiko SPB125J1 Black Sumo which has is also blacked out and abt $850 on C24. I like the Zodiac's styling more so confused which one to go for
The Sea Wolf was released before the first Submariner.
It's a great looking watch, especially in all steel color, yet Zodiac is a bit overpriced, by 15-20% I'd say.
For that price one could get a Sinn, with a more reputable movement and QC, to name only one. When spending over a 1000 on a watch, one can be very picky given the options. Zodiac has a great catalog but needs to build more modern reputation before going over the 1000 euros/dollars price range for these. Some retailers do keep that in mind and I've seen 15% cuts just by showing interest for the piece.
Their selling for under 600. New now. Is It worth the price in your ipinion??
@@jeffd3802 Where can you find it under $600? Thanks...
The Z09201 super seawolf skin 53 is true to the original, while these two versions aren’t true to the original. While these two kinda look like the original seawolf, their hands are different.
any remarks/reviews on the Zodiac Jetomatic?
Oh I feel like this is very important for consumers - the bracelet looks awesome - nice design especially the clasp. BUT
It has a major flaw. If you set micro adjustment past the first position - like 2nd or 3rd( there are 4 total) if you slightly pull on the bottom part on the clasp, say you reach in your pocket- it will actually unclasp and fall. The clasp is highly compromised from the bottom. At least mine is. The bearings are small - steel I’m assuming and makes the bracelet feel cheap. The clasp it self can use a lot of improvement- it feels honestly cheap with that issue at hand.
I got the Super Seawolf reference # ZO9206 - 10249
Cream dial with gold/ gilt hour inlays, needle seconds hand.
and was shocked how big the dial is for the watch. This iteration is beautiful but I feel like it would have been visually look better at 38 mm case or 36mm
The dial is really nice but since this version is very minimalistic and I wish it had the hollow arrow seconds hand. The ones showed her in this video would look better in person than mine does.
I wanted this watch for about 2 or 3 years now and I’d give it a 7.8/10 and that’s with me getting it for 785$ almost like new with an extra strap. I still love it but if I had paid retail plus tax I’d probably return it.
How reliable is the STP movement?
I need one of these to show up preowned closer to $750-$1000 for me to justify this. For some reason $1300 seems like a lot, mostly the brand heritage you’re paying for I suspect. Love the look of the steel bezel version though.
Wonderful!!
sapphire crystal?
Submariner was in 54... AFTER the Sea Wolf and Fifty Fathoms
is it ISO certified?
Great brand, great history and great watch :ZODIAC Swiss Made
3:09
7:59
The correct order is:
Blancpain
Zodiac
Rolex
But the very first was the Radiomir by Panerai, the real italian fascist watch.
I didn’t know zodiac had some heritage and some history. I thought they were more of a microbrand
At this price point - you can’t beat a Squale imo… the quality seems miles apart
The correct pronounciation of BLANCPAIN is not BLONPAAN. IS FRENCH,so something like BLONPEN, merci beaucoup.
Yes it’s french, probably meaning “white bread”, so similar to the English name Whitbread. No it’s not BLONPEN it’s BLONPAN, with emphasis on the short “ah” vowel at the end. TimedSquare presents a video on how to pronounce it as a native french speaker. Look it up on UA-cam. Ultimately tho the British and American pronunciations differ, just as they do for lots of words.
@@kelechinobi3085 not at all. The translation is exactly "white bread": BLANC (french speaking sort of BLON) et PAIN (french speaking PEN, not PAN, PAAN or PON.)
BLANCPAIN c'est du blanc pain, pas du "blonpon, blonpan, blonpaaaan" du tout, excusez beaucoup et étudiez mieux. Merci.
Those lugs kill it