Review: Zodiac Super Seawolf 68
Feb 9, 2018 12:43:39 GMT -8
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Post by daveswordfish on Feb 9, 2018 12:43:39 GMT -8
I’ve always had a thing for the original Super Seawolf, pictured below. Never got one because they are hard to find in great shape, expensive when you do, and parts for restoration are scarce. Besides, my vintage obsession is all Seiko.
(shameless image borrowing)
Well, three days ago, while scrolling through a thread on WUS, I found out that Zodiac had launched a reissue version in late 2015 and I had totally missed it. It’s called the Super Sea Wolf 68 (as in 1968.) I did my research, found one at a great price, and it arrived the next day. After a full day together , here’s my review…
Two things struck me at first impression. First, they absolutely nailed it!!! This is what reissues are supposed to be, faithful recreations of an old design with some modern upgrades. Typically, a reissue doesn’t truly scratch the itch if you want the original, but this one does. My second thought was WOW! This thing is beautiful. From the sapphire overlay on the bezel, to the color shifting blue dial, to the chromed touches, there’s plenty to catch the eye and it all works together perfectly. It still very much “looks the business,” as a 1000m diver should, but it’s also super attractive and eye catching. It’s a real looker and will certainly garner attention when out and about.
Let’s begin with the case and overall size/shape. It’s a big watch at 44mm without crown and 50mm lug to lug, the same specs as the original, but it doesn’t wear or appear that big on the wrist. This is due to a few things….the cushion case doesn’t extend too far out beyond the bezel, the case has significant tapering, the bezel is fairly narrow, and the case is a bit oval which makes it visually more slender. The finish is satin. Not a lot of angles or intricacies, so it’s pretty simple, but it’s done well. Height-wise, it’s roughly the same height (14mm) as my Seiko MM300, but doesn’t feel nearly as tall. It wears quite comfortably and doesn’t have that heavy feeling of other big watches. One of the things Seiko fans will notice when looking at the case pics are the similarities to the cushion cases from the 70’s, especially to the 6138-001x UFO/Yachtman and the 6138-7000 Sliderule. Sorry, the Zodiac came first…
Once we go topside, here’s where the fun begins and we get into the unique stuff. Working from the outside in, we’ll start with the diver’s bezel, which is executed in C3 lume over black paint and covered in a layer of sapphire. The net effect is stunning and the quality is spot on. Rotation is unidirectional, 60 clicks, with a very interesting locking mechanism. The bezel is spring loaded, so downward pressure is required to turn it. Not a lot, but enough to prevent it from turning when knocked about. When turned it provides a noticeable, firm, very audible click. The rotating bezel mechanism is secured by a chrome retaining bezel which has 14 sides to it, if I counted correctly. In concert with the sapphire bezel, it provides a nice effect, bringing some light play to the case. This brings me to my first quibble with the piece. Given that this ring has 14 flat edges to it, it would have been nice if they made it so it always aligned perfectly, with a flat plane at the 12:00 position. I’m pretty anal, and it doesn’t bother me much. In fact, you really don’t notice it unless you look for it. For what it’s worth, the original was the same way.
Moving under the AR (inside) domed sapphire crystal, we get to the chapter ring. Here’s another cool and unique design bit....It “floats” above the dial, with perhaps a 1.5mm gap between the two. The net effect is that the chapter ring is directly under the inside surface of the crystal. It’s unusual, and takes a moment to get accustomed to, but it makes for some interesting visual/spatial perspectives. It adds something interesting as opposed to being distracting.
Hands are done well, but nothing to go ga-ga over. The light play off the chrome box seconds hand and hour hand edges is nice, and I like the shape of the orange minute hand which ends in an arrowhead. Lume is excellent.
Now…onto the dial. It’s spectacular and offers up yet another unusual element. It’s a navy blue dial and appears to be a flat paint on a non-textured dial surface. BUT…the dial still color shifts and reflects light like a sunburst dial. The color shifts from black to purple to navy to medium blue depending on the light. It’s really a well done job. Add the chrome logo, orange surround for the date and the C3 filled orange markers, and you have a very well done dial. Even the text is done right, with nice fonts, correctly sized, and the printing is very sharp.
The watch is powered by the STP 1-11, a Swiss made automatic by STP, Zodiac’s sister company under the Fossil group. It has 26 jewels, 44 hour power reserve, hacks, hand winds, and is similar to the ETA 2824-2 in design, price and performance. As for mine, it’s been with me for 23 hours so far and is running at +3 seconds/day. Good by me.
Lastly is the strap. It’s a navy blue Isofrane-like (material, thickness, grippiness, scent) strap, with a porthole design. Didn’t like the design in pics, but in person its actually OK. Quality is excellent. This brings us to my only other quibble with the watch…the clasp. Zodiac opted to use a butterfly clasp, which I have never seen on a dive watch with a rubber strap. It takes a bit of getting use to and works just fine…it’s just a strange choice IMHO.
There are several variants…in addition to the blue/orange, there’s a black, and orange, a bronze, and a light blue. All look really sweet. Some are LE’s and use an upgraded STP 1-11 that is COSC certified. Prices vary by model and some are sold out. Check the Zodiac site for more info as well as detailed technical specs.
As far as price, the lineup’s retail price starts at $1395 for black on rubber, and runs up to $2095 for the bronze with COSC movement. The blue/orange lists for $1495. This brings us to the question of value. The answer is yes, it’s worth it, at least in my opinion. I got mine new at a steep discount, which can be hard to come by. Used examples have been extremely scarce since the launch in 2015. ADs do discount…I’d check with Topper in CA.
Overall a great looking, retro piece of coolness with quality fit and finish, high end touches, and some very, very cool elements you won’t find elsewhere. If it’s any indication of how much I LOVE this watch… its my very first written review…of anything…ever. If you like it, get one. You won’t be disappointed.
Cheers, and thanks for reading.
(shameless image borrowing)
Well, three days ago, while scrolling through a thread on WUS, I found out that Zodiac had launched a reissue version in late 2015 and I had totally missed it. It’s called the Super Sea Wolf 68 (as in 1968.) I did my research, found one at a great price, and it arrived the next day. After a full day together , here’s my review…
Two things struck me at first impression. First, they absolutely nailed it!!! This is what reissues are supposed to be, faithful recreations of an old design with some modern upgrades. Typically, a reissue doesn’t truly scratch the itch if you want the original, but this one does. My second thought was WOW! This thing is beautiful. From the sapphire overlay on the bezel, to the color shifting blue dial, to the chromed touches, there’s plenty to catch the eye and it all works together perfectly. It still very much “looks the business,” as a 1000m diver should, but it’s also super attractive and eye catching. It’s a real looker and will certainly garner attention when out and about.
Let’s begin with the case and overall size/shape. It’s a big watch at 44mm without crown and 50mm lug to lug, the same specs as the original, but it doesn’t wear or appear that big on the wrist. This is due to a few things….the cushion case doesn’t extend too far out beyond the bezel, the case has significant tapering, the bezel is fairly narrow, and the case is a bit oval which makes it visually more slender. The finish is satin. Not a lot of angles or intricacies, so it’s pretty simple, but it’s done well. Height-wise, it’s roughly the same height (14mm) as my Seiko MM300, but doesn’t feel nearly as tall. It wears quite comfortably and doesn’t have that heavy feeling of other big watches. One of the things Seiko fans will notice when looking at the case pics are the similarities to the cushion cases from the 70’s, especially to the 6138-001x UFO/Yachtman and the 6138-7000 Sliderule. Sorry, the Zodiac came first…
Once we go topside, here’s where the fun begins and we get into the unique stuff. Working from the outside in, we’ll start with the diver’s bezel, which is executed in C3 lume over black paint and covered in a layer of sapphire. The net effect is stunning and the quality is spot on. Rotation is unidirectional, 60 clicks, with a very interesting locking mechanism. The bezel is spring loaded, so downward pressure is required to turn it. Not a lot, but enough to prevent it from turning when knocked about. When turned it provides a noticeable, firm, very audible click. The rotating bezel mechanism is secured by a chrome retaining bezel which has 14 sides to it, if I counted correctly. In concert with the sapphire bezel, it provides a nice effect, bringing some light play to the case. This brings me to my first quibble with the piece. Given that this ring has 14 flat edges to it, it would have been nice if they made it so it always aligned perfectly, with a flat plane at the 12:00 position. I’m pretty anal, and it doesn’t bother me much. In fact, you really don’t notice it unless you look for it. For what it’s worth, the original was the same way.
Moving under the AR (inside) domed sapphire crystal, we get to the chapter ring. Here’s another cool and unique design bit....It “floats” above the dial, with perhaps a 1.5mm gap between the two. The net effect is that the chapter ring is directly under the inside surface of the crystal. It’s unusual, and takes a moment to get accustomed to, but it makes for some interesting visual/spatial perspectives. It adds something interesting as opposed to being distracting.
Hands are done well, but nothing to go ga-ga over. The light play off the chrome box seconds hand and hour hand edges is nice, and I like the shape of the orange minute hand which ends in an arrowhead. Lume is excellent.
Now…onto the dial. It’s spectacular and offers up yet another unusual element. It’s a navy blue dial and appears to be a flat paint on a non-textured dial surface. BUT…the dial still color shifts and reflects light like a sunburst dial. The color shifts from black to purple to navy to medium blue depending on the light. It’s really a well done job. Add the chrome logo, orange surround for the date and the C3 filled orange markers, and you have a very well done dial. Even the text is done right, with nice fonts, correctly sized, and the printing is very sharp.
The watch is powered by the STP 1-11, a Swiss made automatic by STP, Zodiac’s sister company under the Fossil group. It has 26 jewels, 44 hour power reserve, hacks, hand winds, and is similar to the ETA 2824-2 in design, price and performance. As for mine, it’s been with me for 23 hours so far and is running at +3 seconds/day. Good by me.
Lastly is the strap. It’s a navy blue Isofrane-like (material, thickness, grippiness, scent) strap, with a porthole design. Didn’t like the design in pics, but in person its actually OK. Quality is excellent. This brings us to my only other quibble with the watch…the clasp. Zodiac opted to use a butterfly clasp, which I have never seen on a dive watch with a rubber strap. It takes a bit of getting use to and works just fine…it’s just a strange choice IMHO.
There are several variants…in addition to the blue/orange, there’s a black, and orange, a bronze, and a light blue. All look really sweet. Some are LE’s and use an upgraded STP 1-11 that is COSC certified. Prices vary by model and some are sold out. Check the Zodiac site for more info as well as detailed technical specs.
As far as price, the lineup’s retail price starts at $1395 for black on rubber, and runs up to $2095 for the bronze with COSC movement. The blue/orange lists for $1495. This brings us to the question of value. The answer is yes, it’s worth it, at least in my opinion. I got mine new at a steep discount, which can be hard to come by. Used examples have been extremely scarce since the launch in 2015. ADs do discount…I’d check with Topper in CA.
Overall a great looking, retro piece of coolness with quality fit and finish, high end touches, and some very, very cool elements you won’t find elsewhere. If it’s any indication of how much I LOVE this watch… its my very first written review…of anything…ever. If you like it, get one. You won’t be disappointed.
Cheers, and thanks for reading.
