Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 - Standard Issue

[dapellegrini]

This is a quick review of the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 - standard issue version.  This is the basic entry point for a non-COSC heritage inspired reedition of the Zodiac Sea Wolf, originally released in 1953 - alongside the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms.  The original watch was apparently the first diver with a rotating bezel, and was rated to go slightly deeper than fifty fathoms (300ft) at 100m or 328ft.

This is a 39mm watch that looks a whole lot like the original.

Here are my initial impressions:

1 minute in
The box was a bit crap, probably par of the course in this price range (retails for around $1100).  There is an outer box, then two inner boxes - all black.







5 minutes
This version comes on a vanilla scented "Italian" rubber strap, so only two plastic stickers to remove (front and back)



The crystal is slightly domed and picks up reflections very strongly in my photo attempts



30 minutes
This lume on this is very cool in my opinion, perhaps the coolest thing this watch has going for it.  Here's a terrible shot of my watch, then a manufacture/professional photo of the same:






35 minutes
This seems fairly true to the original, though a little larger.  I like the shape of the hands and the triangle indices





1 hour in
The watch itself is fairly light, certainly compared to the Doxa 300T that arrive the same day, or say an Omega Seamaster.  On rubber it wears more like a dress watch.  It is certainly not bulky or heavy, something that I do associate with dive watches - so a little strange.  There are a few things I do not like about this watch:

1. The rubber strap is ok, smells nice and is thick /robust.  However, on my small wrist (6.25 inches), it sits too loose - and perhaps a little "too present".  EDIT: I've ordered a Zodiac 5-link bracelet, which I think will be my preference.  If you have larger wrists (most of you do) and like rubber straps, this one is comfortable and smells nice - a constant reminder you are wearing the watch.







(2) I was torn between the black bezel and stainless bezel version.  I went with the black bezel in the end because it's got lume treatment (which I think is really cool).  I am not a big fan of the mat-black finish on the bezel in person, but I think it might age well, and adds to the 1950's aesthetic.  There is some play in the bezel, it clicks loud and proud as you rotate it.  Its also quite small as rotating bezels go and feels little "unsubstantial" - but perhaps this is a benefit, and certainly seems less common for a dive watch.




(3) The crown is the screw down variety.  Trouble is - the grippy part feels unrefined, like the grooves are too big and deep, and the crown itself feels very light / unsubstantial.  Again probably a play on the retro theme, I get it.  However the threading on the screw down tube is pretty crap, hard to get off and hard to get back on.  It seems like you unscrewed it, but you have to wiggle it around for it to pop out.  The crown also doesn't sit right on the case - leaving an open gap at the bottom part which will no doubt get gross over time.  Maybe it just needs a little working in.  Also the grippy part of the bezel catches your fingers as you are trying to thread the crown - overall not a great implementation.  Oh and it cross threads very easily.  

On the plus side - its rounded profile will not dig into the back of your hand.  







3 hours in 
I've had this thing on and off my wrist several times (received a Doxa 300T at the same time, so it's been sharing time and perhaps getting some unfair comparison).  The more I wear it, the more I like it.  I am still not sure about the strap for my small wrist, but it feels like this watch is going to age well - and look better a little scuffed up. 

Size-wise it is wears very well.  

I am wondering if I wouldn't have preferred the metal bezel...  Then I light up the lume and it puts a smile on my face.  It's not long lived - fades after a few minutes - but is a really cool look.

The next day
Despite the negative points I made, I still really like this watch.  It is an "interesting brand" with real cred in the dive watch space.  It has an inhouse (to Fossil group at least) movement.  It is hand assembled / finished in small batches.  It is relatively cheap in the world of Swiss Divers.  It's numbered.  At a distance it could easily be mistaken for a vintage watch.  Its pretty distinctive in the diver watch space.  And its a good conversation piece (Zodiac killer anyone?)...



I'll keep it... but I am now looking for a Zodiac bracelet.

[inboost]

I have to admit just from the pictures posted I agree 100% with how awesome that lume is. Your night shot looks even better than the manufacturers! I will also agree that the crown on it is terrible, it would serve better as a pinion in a clock! I'd probably be looking to replace it with something like the Willard / Turtle watches use (a fine straight knurling). Somehow I think it might look good on a woven / fabric kind of band? I do dig the black bezel but I've not seen the stainless version. I doesn't look cheap to me?  

[dapellegrini]

I ordered the 5 link Zodiac Bracelet yesterday, and will post an update once I have received that.  I have a hunch the added heft and better fit on my wrist will fix a lot of the "cheap" feel. 

www.zodiacwatches.com/en-us/products/five-link-20mm-stainless-steel-bracelet/ZOS1014.html



Also, I think I was a little too critical of this watch - I really do like it.  I am going to edit a few "cheap" references to be a bit more accurate.

More soon

[dapellegrini]

Day 3
I've had a revelation while updating the initial review to be a little less harsh, and a little more accurate. 

This is a dive watch that wears like a dress watch.  That is actually kind of cool, and a reset button for my initial reaction to it feeling light, unsubstantial and a little cheap for the price.

As of right now it is running -2 seconds after 2.5 days.



No matter how I try - my phone wants to take a long exposure shot in the dark - and they don't come out clean.  I am still trying to figure out how to get a good "one the wrist" lume shot.

[dapellegrini]

Day 5:

The oem bracelet arrived - and is better than expected.  

End links fit nice and snug






Pin and sleeve system - easy to resize:





tool-less spring bar system:





Spring loaded butterfly clasp for easy expansion:






The rubber strap was a large part of the problem for my small wrist.  The bracelet is much better - but not cheap @ $300.  Polished center links, brushed outer links - very nice.  I am very happy with this now.

[russtmurray]

Great review and to be honest, I'm kinda laughing that I only just discovered it after I bought my Zodiac last week! I share your opinion about the crown and most definitely the lume Your perception of this as a dive watch is similar to mine. I got my SCUBA certification back in 1977 and at the time, I lusted for a dive watch but as a student at the time I couldn't afford one. All I remember was my focus was on the Seiko 6309 because it was beefy and chunky, as you would expect a dive watch to be.

I don't recall ever seeing a Zodiac over those many years but I do recall seeing some slim "dive" watches like a Caravelle or such, but to me they looked too delicate for cold water diving in a wetsuit. Perhaps that's why now folks refer them as a skindiver style. Bear in mind, I wasn't into watches that much at the time, but a proper dive watch was perceived as a needed piece of kit. It wasn't until just a few years ago, that re-issues started to become popular and that's when I stumbled on the Oris 65 and then ultimately Zodiac. As I like vintage watches, this re-issue trend has been great and makes me appreciate the design aesthetics even more and this Super Seawolf 53 ticks most of the boxes for me.

[victor]

Nice review - thanks.  I have always liked vintage Zodiac dive watches and think yours carries the torch quite well.  I really like the bezel - as someone who used to dive quite frequently when I lived in New England, I can appreciate a bezel which looks easy to manage while wearing thick rubber gloves.  As a tool watch I think I like it better than the Doxa - the larger dial and markings would be more legible for a quick glance to keep track of bottom time - the Doxa gives deskdiver vibes while the Zodiac looks like a real diver.  Frankly, if I didn't avoid Zodiac watches due to the association with the serial killer, I'd seriously consider ordering one like yours for myself.

BTW, does the bracelet have a diver's extension?

Edit: Now I'm laughing - I didn't realize the OP was almost a year old. lol

[russtmurray]

Feb 3, 2023 8:00:28 GMT -8 victor said:

Nice review - thanks.  I have always liked vintage Zodiac dive watches and think yours carries the torch quite well.  I really like the bezel - as someone who used to dive quite frequently when I lived in New England, I can appreciate a bezel which looks easy to manage while wearing thick rubber gloves.  As a tool watch I think I like it better than the Doxa - the larger dial and markings would be more legible for a quick glance to keep track of bottom time - the Doxa gives deskdiver vibes while the Zodiac looks like a real diver.  Frankly, if I didn't avoid Zodiac watches due to the association with the serial killer, I'd seriously consider ordering one like yours for myself.

BTW, does the bracelet have a diver's extension?

Edit: Now I'm laughing - I didn't realize the OP was almost a year old. lol

Hi Vic, just curious did you do much wreck diving back in the day? I had to laugh too when you noted when this thread was posted. Glad I wasn't the only one. Now in terms of practicality, I would say that this Zodiac re-issue is far more limited that say Doxa or other divers out there primarily because of the very weak lume. I'd be curious how strong it was when Zodiac first introduced the model way back in 1953. The bracelet that came with mine does not have a divers extension, so that's another limitation I suppose. But for desk diving, swimming and snorkeling in warm waters, I'd say it's great!

[victor]

Feb 3, 2023 9:18:02 GMT -8 russtmurray said:

Hi Vic, just curious did you do much wreck diving back in the day? I had to laugh too when you noted when this thread was posted. Glad I wasn't the only one. Now in terms of practicality, I would say that this Zodiac re-issue is far more limited that say Doxa or other divers out there primarily because of the very weak lume. I'd be curious how strong it was when Zodiac first introduced the model way back in 1953. The bracelet that came with mine does not have a divers extension, so that's another limitation I suppose. But for desk diving, swimming and snorkeling in warm waters, I'd say it's great!

I did zero wreck diving.  I did find bits of old sailing ships that had wrecked off the coast, mostly just unidentifiable balls of rust.  I do have a large anchor that is now in my front yard, which was at one of my regular dive spots.  I lived on the North Shore in MA.  We'd take our boats out to a few likely spots and collect lobster and scallops (we had licenses) after work in the summer and during the weekend.  The water temp at the surface was usually around 20C/70F by late summer, but within a few feet it went down to 10/50 so a thick wet suit was called for.  That's why the diver extension on the watch was so useful.  The other thing about diving in New England in the summer is that visibility is terrible because of all the plankton.  You really can't see much past a couple of meters and large fish, small sharks and even rocks would just suddenly loom out of the murk and sometimes be quite startling when you're not expecting them.  It didn't help when our local chandlery put up a photo of a great white that had gotten tangled in a fisherman's net, caught near one of our regular dive spots.

I've dove around some deliberately sunken wrecks in the Carribean but never went inside as I wasn't certified for wreck diving - and the few times I've half swum in I found them intensely uncomfortable and spooky and quickly backed out.  My father used to do a lot of wreck and cave diving when I was a kid - massive cojones to do that with the equipment they used back then!  My diving has always been restricted to open water and never deeper than 30 meters or so.  I was just in it for the fun, the beauty and the food.

My dive (and everyday) watch back then was an Invicta that my wife gave me.  Since I didn't have a dive computer the rotating bezel was handy for timing dives.  I don't recall ever noticing the lume on the Invicta when I was diving, so can't say how useful it was for me.  Eventually she "graduated" me to a Citizen Hyper Aqualand that recorded my dives and would show my depth as well as dive time.  One of the things I liked most about that watch was the button I could push that would illuminate the display so I wouldn't have to use my dive light if it was too dark to read the time. 

longbike recently showed me the trick to change the battery on the Hyper Aqualand - it had been sitting unused in a drawer for ~15 years or more because I was getting irritated sending it off to Atlanta every few years for a $300 battery change.  Since I no longer scuba dive I think there's no need for ensuring it is dive rated, but I might ask my watchmaker to put it in his pressure tester for me to check it.

Anyway, I have several more dive watches now, but the most water they see is when I go snorkeling or splash around at the beach, or when my dogs tangle me up as we're fooling around by the river and I take an unintentional bath.

[dapellegrini]

Thanks guys - happy to see that a thread has a long shelf-life.  

There is no diver's extension on my bracelet.  

[russtmurray]

Feb 3, 2023 10:01:07 GMT -8 victor said:

Feb 3, 2023 9:18:02 GMT -8 russtmurray said:

Hi Vic, just curious did you do much wreck diving back in the day? I had to laugh too when you noted when this thread was posted. Glad I wasn't the only one. Now in terms of practicality, I would say that this Zodiac re-issue is far more limited that say Doxa or other divers out there primarily because of the very weak lume. I'd be curious how strong it was when Zodiac first introduced the model way back in 1953. The bracelet that came with mine does not have a divers extension, so that's another limitation I suppose. But for desk diving, swimming and snorkeling in warm waters, I'd say it's great!

I did zero wreck diving.  I did find bits of old sailing ships that had wrecked off the coast, mostly just unidentifiable balls of rust.  I do have a large anchor that is now in my front yard, which was at one of my regular dive spots.  I lived on the North Shore in MA.  We'd take our boats out to a few likely spots and collect lobster and scallops (we had licenses) after work in the summer and during the weekend.  The water temp at the surface was usually around 20C/70F by late summer, but within a few feet it went down to 10/50 so a thick wet suit was called for.  That's why the diver extension on the watch was so useful.  The other thing about diving in New England in the summer is that visibility is terrible because of all the plankton.  You really can't see much past a couple of meters and large fish, small sharks and even rocks would just suddenly loom out of the murk and sometimes be quite startling when you're not expecting them.  It didn't help when our local chandlery put up a photo of a great white that had gotten tangled in a fisherman's net, caught near one of our regular dive spots.

I've dove around some deliberately sunken wrecks in the Carribean but never went inside as I wasn't certified for wreck diving - and the few times I've half swum in I found them intensely uncomfortable and spooky and quickly backed out.  My father used to do a lot of wreck and cave diving when I was a kid - massive cojones to do that with the equipment they used back then!  My diving has always been restricted to open water and never deeper than 30 meters or so.  I was just in it for the fun, the beauty and the food.

My dive (and everyday) watch back then was an Invicta that my wife gave me.  Since I didn't have a dive computer the rotating bezel was handy for timing dives.  I don't recall ever noticing the lume on the Invicta when I was diving, so can't say how useful it was for me.  Eventually she "graduated" me to a Citizen Hyper Aqualand that recorded my dives and would show my depth as well as dive time.  One of the things I liked most about that watch was the button I could push that would illuminate the display so I wouldn't have to use my dive light if it was too dark to read the time. 

longbike recently showed me the trick to change the battery on the Hyper Aqualand - it had been sitting unused in a drawer for ~15 years or more because I was getting irritated sending it off to Atlanta every few years for a $300 battery change.  Since I no longer scuba dive I think there's no need for ensuring it is dive rated, but I might ask my watchmaker to put it in his pressure tester for me to check it.

Anyway, I have several more dive watches now, but the most water they see is when I go snorkeling or splash around at the beach, or when my dogs tangle me up as we're fooling around by the river and I take an unintentional bath.

Sounds like some real fond memories there Vic. I haven't dove for years and I miss it dearly. When you mentioned you're from New England, the first thing I thought of was "bugs" which was what I believe you guys used to call lobster, right? I can sure relate to crappy viz, especially during the summer when the first 20 to 30 feet was like diving in salad oil! That is when I was ocean diving, not so much in Great Lakes. A couple of my dive buddies went on some expeditions off the US east coast, including the Andrea Doria and a U-Boat. By the way, if you haven't already, give the book "Shadow Divers" a read. It is gripping tale of two divers trying to identify a sunk U-Boat off the coast of New Jersey. Fantastic book which also became the basis for a PBS documentary called "Hitler's Lost Sub. 

Kinda fun decompressing through these memories, eh?