THE ESSENTIALS
MAKE: ZODIAC
MODEL: MONOPUSHER
YEAR: c1940
BOX/PAPERS: NO/NO
CASE DIAMETER: 35.5mm
CASE MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
BRACELET MATERIAL: LEATHER
MOVEMENT: MANUAL WIND
Founded in 1882 in Le Locle, Switzerland, by Ariste Calame under his eponymous brand, the name “Zodiac” was registered in 1908 and remains in use over a century later. Admittedly, Zodiac is not one of the most talked-about brands today, even among serious watch enthusiasts on forums and collector groups. Nevertheless, the company left behind an incredibly diverse catalogue of watches, most notably the Sea Wolf, widely regarded as one of the very first commercially available diving watches, alongside the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and Rolex Submariner.
The present example comes from the heyday of chronographs during the 1930s and 1940s, when they were increasingly used for professional and military applications. The design is unmistakably representative of the era, sharing many traits with contemporary models from manufacturers such as Rolex, Omega, Tissot, and Vetta. The 35.5 mm case was considered large for its time and wears beautifully on the wrist. Powering the watch is a Valjoux 22 monopusher movement.
The star of the show, however, is the gorgeous sector dial, featuring a minute counter at 3 o’clock, running seconds at 9, a central chronograph seconds hand, and concentric telemeter, minute/seconds, hour, and tachymeter scales. These surround the Zodiac signature and the “Fab. Suisse” designation, indicating that the watch was originally imported and sold in France.
The watch has survived in incredible condition nearly a century later. The sector dial is largely free from blemishes, while the fixed-lug case remains wonderfully sharp. We have freshly serviced the movement, which is running beautifully at +4 s/d, with 265° amplitude and a 0.4 ms beat error. Our friends at The Strap Tailor have custom-made these straps specifically for us.
Technicalities aside, this is one of the prettiest chronographs we’ve handled this year, ready for its next journey.