Zodiac Aerospace GMT

Why We Love It In the mid-1950s, Zodiac, then a renowned and well-respected Swiss manufacture, introduced the Sea Wolf.  While not really debuted until the early 1960s, the Sea Wolf is now considered to be among the first purpose-built dive watches to be manufactured, right alongside the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and the Rolex Submariner. The success of the Sea Wolf ushered in a new era for Zodiac and allowed the brand to expand its design language to include other tool watches for different uses. The Aerospace GMT was one such piece.  Building on a very similar case design, Zodiac constructed a pilot's watch with similar functionality as other, more commonly seen GMTs from other brands; The Aerospace GMT featured a 24-hour GMT function, window at 3:00 and a bi-directional, two-tone 'Pepsi' rotating click bezel.   As with the Sea Wolf, Zodiac's approach to Aerospace GMT was function-forward. This Aerospace GMT features a stunning silver sunburst dial with applied indices and generous plots of Tritium luminous with a matching handset, with a the red stick 24-hour hand with a luminous tip for high legibility in low light cockpits. Even the inclusion of a click bezel and white date wheel suggest careful considerate design for ease of use on the wrist.   This particular example is in truly stunning condition with no signs of polish to its faceted case, no stress fractures in its acrylic bezel, and a stunningly patinated dial, handset and acrylic bezel. When compared to Rolex GMT-Masters of the same vintage, you might say that the Aerospace is an undervalued bargain. We agree, and are delighted to have this incredible example offered for sale! The Story  Zodiac is an old brand that's enjoying new life under new ownership. Fossil, its current owners, understand the tremendous staying power of classic designs such as the Sea Wolf. As far as the genuine article is concerned, vintage collectors are now seeing the value of these stunning and sporty watches.  With roots going back to the late 19th century, the brand that would come to be known as Zodiac distinguished itself from its earliest days with some impressive technical feats. They produced flat pocket watches in the 1920s, some of the industry's earliest automatic watches in the 1930s, and power-reserve complications in the 1940s. As the intention of Ariste Calame when founding Zodiac was to specialize in the production of complicated movements, it’s no surprise that the lineage of technical expertise would live on throughout the brand’s history.