I recently acquired a Zodiac Hermetic Branded Clamshell Chronograph (my best guess would be from aorund the 50s). And since I couldnt find a similar one anywhere online I am wondering if it is real or if the dial was put in this case from Croton. Since they are different companies. We all know companies used to cooperate with each other in the past so it could still be possible that zodiac bought the case from Croton and build its own Clamshell Chrono.

But the odds are low since i didnt find anything on Zodiac Hermetic Chronos from the 50s. It just seems odd to me that I cant find anything about any other Zodiac Clamshell Chronographs. I Can only find information about Croton Clamshell Chronos.

Any help is appreciated and very much welcome.

It's a vintage watch. Many brands will not service them - or do so at an extortionately high price. One reason is that parts are so hard to come by, that only specialists are willing to do the hard work and build up a stock of parts - or know where to source them. FG bought a brand name and nothing else. No factory, no machines, no tools, no parts - nothing. It was all lost in the turmoils of the quartz crisis and a 1999 bankruptcy. Hard to blame them really, what are they to do about it? At least they keep the brand name alive. If your local shop know what they are doing, you will be happier with the result and pay a fraction of the price that FG would have charged you, if they had taken it on.

Since they bought the brand they have never done anything with/for previous owners' models. They used to send them here.

 
I have a old 1998 Zodiac Super SeaWolf 506.54.44 movt 2824-2 I sent to FG Zodiac for service. They sent it back "Non-Repairable"  It runs however it occasionally would stop. Thye provided no other details. Argh. I took it to a local shop they laughed and said they will service for $250. What gives with FG?

I would almost bet that the caseback was not the one that originally came with that case, but obviously it could still be the correct reference so it doesnt matter.  When they throw the kitchen sink at a watch just to make it "complete" to go with a box set and hope to make a premium then all the rules go out the window.

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Thanks for the help and replies by both!

To my knowledge they were a short lived dress version of the 60's dive watch.

Does anyone know anything about the Sea Skate models?

I had never heard of them before I joined this community - and they seem very illusive, only appearing in a few vintage ads that I have come accross.

Were they reserved for the US market perhaps? And what ARE they? Dress watch versions of Sea Wolves, or?

Day and Date indicators should be consistent in color. Usually both - orange.
Definitely - way overpriced.