ebay ref## 140356785447 zodiac marine life

[jon p]

  butch- i am not sure about this one-is it actually PRE zodiac" buy out "as seller mentions? about WHEN were these made? do you think in this pristine condition it is worth $175.00 --the reserve price? i realize we are NOT supposed to discuss anything AFTER 1990-tell me if i have screwed up!!!!! i like the fact seller has all the original links and most of the factory protective stuff is still on it.i realize it is a quartz movement--sounds like it has a high quality jeweled one--i am not up on rhonda movements though.  JON

[Butch]

We can talk about anything other than the current band owner's models Jon! Do me a favor? Please put the auction numbers in the body of the message for an easier cut and paste. Thanks.

I looked that model up in one of my 1990's catalog. It is either newer or older than my catalog as the minute hand is slightly different. As it is Kortz, it has no value as far as I am concerned. Finally, no watch manufacturer I ever heard of, and especially Zodiac (any brand owner over these many years) sent out a watch with extra links "TO MAKE IT FIT A VERY LARGE WRIST". Bands are full length when shipped, usually over 8", with removable links to re-size it for smaller wrists, ergo I would consider this a used watch. The new owner can easily verify that by looking at the pins in the band upon receipt. Now let me say it is possible that it was bought, and additional links were bought at the same time (always purchased), and were never added, but it is funny, to me, that "RIGHT NOW IT WILL FIT ABOUT A 7 3/4 WITH THE LINK ON IT NOW".

Butch, why do you hate Kortz watches? Good question Jon! In 1996 my wife and I were on business in Puerto Rico. In Old San Juan I saw a Tag Heuer 3000 Professional diving watch that I fell in love with. My wife bought it for me. When we got home I was showing it off to my local watchmaker and he said it was GREAT. A fantastic, well made, super durable, and valuable watch. As he handed it back to me he asked me, with a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, "And do you know the best thing about this watch?" "What?", I asked. He said, "When it quits working I can get you that same ETA Kortz movement and replace the whole damn thing for $26.00!" I sold it the next day, at a loss, and bought the 3000 Professional 3 Register Chronograph version with a Val Joux 7750 Automatic movement in it for about $200 more than the Kortz model. I do not own a Kortz watch today. My "jump in the water with it cuz I don't care" watch is an Invicta with an auto movement that I always take to the Caribbean with me. BTW, this is the only watch I own with a non-Swiss mechanical movement.

Yeah, I know, I am a snob Jon.

[jon p]

  no ones favorite type of watch makes them a snob!! i expect truthful honest answers here and they are. my collection includes zodiacs-both mechanical and quartz and other brands with both movement types including some late 50s high end 2 and 3 register wakmanns. if we all loved the same type watches our world would sure be dull!.i kinda wondered why the "extra links" were included also.again, tks for the honest opinion.  JON

[Butch]

Well, FWIW, SHE never noticed the swap out.