My next new watch....coming next week from Germany!

[LexLoci]

 

[Butch]

That is different. They used the same movements as Zodiac did at that time.

[LexLoci]

Yes, it is different, and rare. I already have a dealer in California bugging me to buy it! It has a built-in altimiter, and is designed for mountain climbing. Sort of the mirror of the diving watch. This is the Matterhorn model, which apparently the first explorer to summit one of the faces of the Matterhorn wore back in the 60's. I just really like the blue/green dial and its overall look.

[LexLoci]

An excerpt from a blog on watches:

BIVOUAC, THE WATCH FOR EVERY SUMMIT
In 1934, the young ethnologist, Paul-Emile Victor, made his first trip to Greenland. In 1947, this ecology pioneer founded the French polar expeditions and went on to lead 31 missions to the Arctic and Antarctic. From 1962 onwards, one instrument emerged as his indispensable companion: the famous Favre-Leuba Bivouac.

Housed in a stainless steel case, the movement has really been really put through its paces, on all five continents and in all conditions. History will remember the extremely accurate performance of this legendary watch in the most hostile environments, at least for as long as it remembers the adventures of some very exceptional men who loved the great outdoors. Aside from Paul-Emile Victor's expeditions to the Antarctic mentioned above, there were Michel Darbellay's first solo ascent of the Eiger or Walter Bonatti's first conquest of the north face of the Matterhorn. At the end of his climb, this mountaineering virtuoso said, "I can only praise the good performance of the Bivouac; a marvel and a friend!"

The revolutionary BIVOUAC has been regarded as an essential instrument for mountaineers since its launch in 1962. It is equipped with multiple measurement functions, one of which indicates the altitude and the weather based on barometric pressure. The aneroid barometer is a real mechanical marvel that functions by means of a partial vacuum in a metal capsule, which contracts when the air pressure is high and expands when it is low. These variations are amplified and transmitted to a mechanism which, coupled with an altimeter, displays the information on the dial.
- Rotating bezel with mobile altitude scale
- Barometric scale with red marker at 760 mmHg
- Red altimeter-barometer hand

[Butch]

That is awesome! I had not idea one existed like this from that time period.

[jon p]

         WOW--what a fantastic find and i would guess VERY RARE from my limited knowledge! beautiful watch for sure, i bet it would be a tough one to service, or even find someone to service it. you did well my friend!!!!!!!!  i always love the unusual watches.

[LexLoci]

I am lucky because there are a number of vintage watch collectors and tinkerers near Toronto, including WatchestoBuy.com, down the road in London, Ontario.

Just to rub things in, I just blew a little more cash just a few minutes ago and grabbed this rare Zodiac chrono from an ebay seller in the UK (hope nobody reading this was bidding against me...sorry if so!)  :

[LexLoci]

Appears to be a 1971 Sea Chron, all authentic except for the strap....

[Sea Wolf]

Another nice one LexLoci.  You are building up quite a nice Zodiac collection and fast.

Once you get all these in, you need a proper group photo so we can see them all.

What got you interested in vintage Zodiacs?

[LexLoci]

Thanks. Indeed, I have been building up a collection over the past few months.

I have always liked Zodiacs, and having been born in 1969, appreciate these vintage watches from that era. I started my swiss watch collection a year ago with a Brietling Superocean Heritage 46, which is a nice dress watch.

I will definitely do a group shot of the Zodiacs, after the holidays. That's because several of the watches I have purchased recently were delivered to my family home in the US, (to avoid import duties). I have yet to get my hands on them!!

So far I have collected from the 60's-70's era:  an Aerospace GMT, World Time GMT, Sea Wolf (orange), Sea Wolf (white) ,Super Sea Wolf, Sea Wolf SST (coffin style case), and the above Sea Chrono.

In addition to these, as you know I also just picked up the Favre-Leuba Bivouac. I also just got a good deal on an older Baume and Mercier chronograph, which needs some work. I may send it to Butch's fellow for repair and restoration, if he can do it.

Lex

[Oliver]

Hi Lex,

hey, I was born in 1969, too  :). You have really already built up a nice collection, I have a few Zodiacs, too. My latest purchase was a steel Kingline in excellent condition, very happy about it (see pic.). I have another Kingline, made of solid 18k gold, have been trying to sell it for some time since gold watches aren't really my cup of tea, without success yet. Your Sea-Chron looks very nice, too. I saw the listing on ebay and had it in my watch list, but it was too much money for me. But congratulations to you!!!

[LexLoci]

Thanks. I must admit I probably over-paid for the Sea Chrono by about $300 USD, but was prepared to go as high as 1000 GBP if necessary to get it, because it looks mostly original and I really like the style. The band they put on it is crap, and I will have to find a nice one, maybe even go with a tropic style stap....

I like your silver Kingline. Clean and stylish.

I figure I will end my vintage Zodiac collection with a SSW Chrono if I ever find one....Got a few folks out there looking for me...

Now, I suppose we should go out and by an Omega Speedmaster eh? After all, we were born the year they landed on the moon!

Lex

[Oliver]

I already have one  . But, unfortunately, not a "Pre-Moon" from the late 50's/60's with cal. 321 and chamfered-edge dial and raised metallic Omega symbol (just too expensive to afford), but a later one with cal. 861. Still looking great though.