I got and replied to an email today that I have answered in the past. I have decided to put it here for all to see and then I can reference it in the future.
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Hello Butch,
My name is XXX and I currently work for Fossil. Although I am not directly associated with the Zodiac division, I am an avid fan of the brand. I write to you to thank you for creating www.vintagezodiacs.com (http://www.vintagezodiacs.com). Without the content there I would not be such a big fan of Zodiac. I am incredibly curious about how you came with all this knowledge of the Zodiac brand. Would you mind sharing a little about yourself?
Any of the information you may share will be kept confidential and is only for my socializing and educational purposes. Thank you. I look forward to your response.
XXX
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Hi XXX,
Nice to meet you. Not much to tell really. I bought my first Zodiac for my wife in the Army PX in Korea in the early 70's, so knew the brand. In the 90's I got interested in vintage watches and then decided to specialize. Back then the Internet was pretty new but you could gather info, and that is what I started doing. I gathered and learned as much about the Zodiac brand as I could.
Then in 2000 I decided to learn about web sites, specifically how to code them and make them work on the Internet servers. But I did not want to do a site like everyone else, about my dog and my 4x4. So, what could I build my web site around? Well, I had all this Zodiac info I had been gathering. No one else had anything on Zodiac. I had something I could offer the world. So I built it, and they came. ;)
And here he are today. All the catalogs, pamphlets, and service manuals I have bought over the years are now available via subscription on www.ZodiacCatalogs.com (http://www.zodiaccatalogs.com). It does not make enough money to make BOTH web sites run in the black, but it does help offset the costs and allow us to keep them both running.
Butch
I collect Zodiacs because they're so cool. what more can one say?
I only own one Zodiac, a 70´s Sea Wolf. But I really love that watch!
Will soon buy another one :D
I usually have the computer next to me, looking at endless listings of "vintage dive watch" while watching tv. And a nice broken seawolf caught my attention. After looking for some information I bought the watch, (well I "won" the auction) And the easily repairable watch was my first Sea Wolf :)
Now I often look at "vintage Zodiac watch" listings :)
I bought my first Sea Wolf in Cody Wyoming the rodeo capital of the world in a trading post. It had one of those indian bands in silver on it. The band costs more than the watch and I picked up the Sea Wolf for $25 and did not get the band. That got me interested in Zodiacs and this was around 1997. I found Butch's website and read every page and would constantly go back to see if there was more information posted. I think he had a forum at one point but I never found it on the original site. Years went by and I got into building websites in 1999. Not sure when but I started bugging Butch about redoing his website. Time went on and Butch seemed not interested. So I built a new website with his content and emailed him again and said look at the new vintagezodiacs.com website I have built for you. I forget the language I used but I said lets do this, I want to be your webmaster. The phone rang and it was Butch and he still allows me to play in his sandbox to this day :#lol :godfather;
Thanks for what you bring to the party Seawolf. I think we're lucky to have you in the sandbox with us! :ur
SW does tend to oversimplify things. He is the brains of the outfit, I am just the pretty face.