Zodiac is a watch brand that I’ve long admired, but for one reason or another, my overall wrist time has been limited over the years. That changed a few weeks back when I found an opportunity to bring a Super Sea Wolf 53 Compression along on a personal vacation to the Big Island in Hawaii.
Margarita, anyone"
As you likely know, the Zodiac Sea Wolf was one of the very first modern dive watches, debuting in 1953, the same year as its more prevalent contemporaries, the Rolex Submariner and Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. Now situated as the most expensive brand underneath the Fossil Group umbrella, Zodiac has slowly-but-surely built out a line of accessibly priced and handsome dive watches with automatic movements.
One thing I’ve noticed since the Super Sea Wolf line was relaunched a few years back is that it has mainly focused on building out the niche (but aspirationally cool) segment of heritage-focused divers. Not only are the models vintage-inspired, they feature a variety of extremely funky colors that recall the cult era of beach shows filled with pretty people and neon lights like Miami Vice and Baywatch. They draw plenty of attention, feature guilt-free price tags, and have enough mechanical potency to satisfy even the strictest watch pedant. To put it simply, these watches are just plain fun and can make your annual beach trip a more memorable experience. The Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Compression provides a lot of value with its historical significance, s...