The Zodiac Sea-Wolf, a pioneer of the modern dive watch, was founded in the 1950s and is often overlooked. It was the least talked about of the three brands, but it is a testament to its innovation. The first Sea-Wolf from 1953 was smaller than today's dive watches, measuring 35mm in diameter, 43mm lug-to-lug, and 18mm lug width. Despite its modest dimensions, the Sea-Wolf was capable and boasted 100 meters of water resistance, twice that of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms.
The Sea-Wolf's dial was ultra legible, featuring Dauphine hands and Arabic numerals at the cardinal points. It was powered by an A. Schild automatic caliber, which reduced the number of times a crown had to be unscrewed to wind the movement. All dive watches born in the 1950s had legible dials, water resistance, screw-down crown and case-back, and a rotating bezel. The Sea-Wolf's unidirectional bezel allowed it to be used as a count-up or count-down bezel, a feature not found on the Blancpain. This bezel markings became standard shortly after the release and were made famous by the Rolex Submariner.
The Sea-Wolf's evolution over the past few decades has seen it showcase unusual combinations of colors, the addition of GMT complications, and "in-house" calibers. The movements are produced by STP, acquired by the Fossil Group in 2012, making them made by a sister company, not by Zodiac itself. The Sea-Wolf's evolution is a testament to its commitment to innovation and its ability to stand out in the dive watch industry.
