Zodiac Professional GMT

[LexLoci]

What do you guys think a fair price would be for a mint condition Zodiac Professional GMT with the red/blue bezel, and original stainless steel band? I have one that I can buy, but am uncertain as to what the fair market value is, as I have never seen on for sale before...

[Sea Wolf]

Kortz model?

[LexLoci]

Ha! Yeah...

[Sea Wolf]

Ask Butch the value 

Costco sold those for $50 when they had the last inventory.

Some people like them.

I would not buy one.

[LexLoci]

Yeah...its funny how on ebay a new dial for one is priced at $120 bucks, for a $50 costco watch.....thanks!  I may pass on the opportunity to pick this one up....

[longview65]

Ask Butch the value 

Costco sold those for $50 when they had the last inventory.

Some people like them.

I would not buy one.

Quartz or not these particular models are rare/scarce no matter what Butch or anyone else may tell you!
The fact that Costco blew them out at $50.00 doesnt make them any less valuable or colectible.  The fact is that back in the 90s when they came out they WERE selling for over $1200.00
I personally own the "mid sized" model and in the eight years that I have been buying/selling on the Bay I have NEVER ever seen one come up for sale!  There however have been maybe five FULL sized models that have come up but thats about it!

[Butch]

I can agree with Longview on the rarity of them in the 90's, prior to the bankruptcy, along with the original pricing for them, in the 90's.

Having said that, the fact remains that Value City bought up all the remaining GMTs after the 1997 bankruptcy and sold them off for $99.99, completely devaluing them and making them no loner a rarity. This same argument can be applied to any 1990's Zodiac after 1997 where Swiss law allows the parts companies to assemble and sell the watches to liquidate their stock. This evidence is still shown today for the 1990's models on eBay. Often.

Let me be very clear, I like the GMT, always have. I simply have great disdain for the $26 (1997 price) kortz movement in 1990's GMT. Ditto for the 2000 Sea Wolf II sold by Genender. Loved that model, was waiting on the automatic version to be made when the brand was sold. Ah well, I will never get one.

Longview, this is NO reflection your you or your tastes. Shit, I probably have several watches you would not own. Just the facts ma'am.

[longview65]

Butch..........  let me run this statement by you taken from another site...........
Quote"
These were made in connection with The Zenith Watch Co. for Zodiac as a direct competitor to the Rolex GMT Master II. In the opinion of some, these high-grade Zodiac GMTs are nicer than the Rolex w/ a nicer dial, large triangular hour markers and highly detailed cases. The high-grade, Swiss, multi- jeweled quartz movement is reputed to be the very best ever made. These GMTs retailed in 1990 for about $1250 USD, and are very rare. Zodiac really got it all right w/ this fine watch, and it is not to be confused w/ the cheap, current crop mfg. under the once-proud Zodiac line in name only.
Unquote"

[Butch]

What would you like me to say here longview? That, having read "this statement by you taken from another site", that I am now in love with the $26 kortz movement and that I was incorrect in everything I have previously stated?

Not bloody likely my friend. Let us just agree to disagree.

[longview65]

I didnt say that you were in-correct at all Butch .........I was simply giving you another persons opinion about the movement!
I have noticed in a lot of your posts/replies that you dont like being challenged when someone questions what you have to say!
For a "Quartz" watch to sell in the 90s for over $1200.00 it must surely be of a VERY good quality which also includes the movement!

[Butch]

I am fine with the challenge, just don't often lose.   

Seriously, apologies if you took it that way.

[zaniac]

I have the full size GMT and like it. It's my only quartz model, but I like the looks and rareness of it. It's comfortable and never any worries about winding or breaking, just put it on and forget about it. The red/blue bezel is a nice eye catcher too. You have to watch out for the crown issue discussed in a sticky here on the forum. But with never needing to wind, the crown rarely gets used and should last awhile. I paid $145 for mine so I would think if you can get it less than $150, it would be worth it. Obviously, this is a purely subjective decision on your part, but I like mine for $145.

[LexLoci]

Well fellas, it appears I set off quite the debate! Not my intention, but entertaining and informative nonetheless.

Just for fun, I went ahead and bought the watch in question. I paid $100 bucks Canadian.  It came in the original box, and is 100% MINT. This one has never been worn....until now.....

Its not bad actually. Lighter than I expected.

So, one last question....how do I tell the "mid size" from the "full size" men's version?

[davec73]

Opinion is cool, but the Zodiac 1990's GMT was in no way ever a competitor to the Rolex GMT.  And no one ever paid $1,200 for one, that's MSRP which is a joke because my Seiko diver would be worth $500 bucks if we took MSRP seriously.  Marine life models with that really cool bracelet were being closed out a $99 from Bernard watch about ten years ago because nobody would pay that kinda money for it and I'm as big a Zodiac zealot as there is.

And the finest quartz movements probably the 5035 (?) in the Oysterquartz models that Rolex spent a fortune on. 

[Butch]

Fair price for a nice watch. You can look in the 1990's catalogs on ZodiacCatalogs.com and find your model number to see if you have the larger or smaller one. All the catalogs from that time have the GMT, last watch as a matter of fact.

Just to be clear guys, I like the damn thing, just dislike the movement. You could not give me a Rolex kortz watch. Well, OK, you COULD, but then I would sell it to buy MANY vintage Zodiacs.



Longview, if needed, I already offered my apologies. Guys, I am a snob. I only own Swiss mechanical watches. Mostly automatics. No Japanese, German, etc. No kortz. It's just me guys, it ain't you. In case you are wondering why I have this distaste for anything other than mechanical, here is a link, 2nd entry, to my lesson.

http://www.vintagezodiacs.com/zforums/index.php/topic,416.msg737.html#msg737

[zaniac]

I think $100 CAN is a great deal!
As far as size, like Butch said, look in the catalog for the number stamped on the back or just measure it. Full size is around 40mm and mid size is around 36mm not including the crown of course.

[longview65]

I agree.......  $100.00 is a GREAT deal! 
The last 2 full sized models I saw on another watch Forum went for over $300.00 and they were NOT new!
I paid $365.00 for my mid size about 2 years ago and it was NOS but had no box/papers!

[LexLoci]

Mine is 40mm - crown not included. Full size! 

[LexLoci]

Pic...

[jon p]

     LEX, you got a fantastic buy! i would love to find one at that price as i have always really liked that model in full size. i like the quartz models because they are "set and forget", ready to go when you are ready to wear one. i wonder if they suffer from the crown/stem problems that the 90s brought upon us!? at least the crown doesnt need to be used much. i have 3 90s models, an automatic sea wolf and 2 quartz marine lifes, regular and a chrono, and i am VERY careful with them!  good catch partner, i hope to luck up on one in the future. have a great x-mas!   JON P

[zaniac]

I was looking for any of these watches in completed auctions on ebay to research prices and this one came up.
120811459720
Isn't that yours, Lex? It's the same photo.

[longview65]

Mmmmmmmmm? VERY interesting indeed!
That is definitely the same watch! 
Something FISHY here!!

[Oliver]

And what's this?? 

280803294416

[longview65]

And what's this?? 

280803294416

Yep............  that's the one!!!!!
Interesting too is that he states in his AD that he wont ship to the States but yet he offered to sell me the watch awhile ago and I DO live in the States and he knew that!!

[davec73]

Well let me give this a synopsis.

Our good buddy Lex states that he bought it for $100 Canadian which is a pretty nice deal by any standards.  His ebay handle is chaspaintxxxx as the items bought under that id correspond to the impressive collection that Lex has checkbooked in a short amount of time.  Turns out that infamous GMT was bought from a seller in England for the equivalent of $240 bucks, a far cry from $100 but still not a bad deal.  Buyers are hidden now but it was bought by someone with exactly 44 feedbacks the same as chasepaintxxxx aka Lex.  So someone might have a serious case of Walter Mittyism but I'm sure Lex has stopped posting for a while if not permanently.  I guess he made the fictional $100 deal up to impress the rubes with his cleverness. 

[jon p]

            dave, VERY interesting post!!! this guy has  always come on" a little strong " in my opinion! naner naner look what i got with all my money type!! just my opinion, but i dont think i am the only one who "was rubbed  the wrong way" !

[longview65]

Anyone see the BIN price he has??  Good luck on that!!!

[orangecorallimorph]

davec73:LSHMSFOAIDMT!! Laughing so hard my sombrero fell off and I dropped my taco!!!
So much for "political correctness" LOL! I see that other "rubes" on this sight are able to follow the trails from the bay to forum also! Gotta admit tho' all the cloak and dagger on here lately has made for a much more entertaining experience! We need more forum members who aren't afraid to sling more bullshirt. It's fun and educational also, so much more fun than some old moldy electronic catalogs!! LOL!
as always Keep it Real-OC

[Butch]

To no one in particular on this thread:

Sure they follow it from eBay to here. I personally try hard to keep my eBay advertising, er, um, auctions consistent with this site for that very reason. You guys would call me out in a heartbeat.

Where else do you guys get your Zodiac (and others) from? eBay is the only place you guys buy from, right? I mean, you don't buy them from watch sites do you? I can't remember the last time someone said they went to a watch show and picked up something new. (Any NAWCC members here?) Or a yard sale for that matter. Come to think of it, I do not remember anyone even doing a swap here or talking about a swap they had made recently. I do recall in the past year and a half one fella asking about a watch in a pawn shop though.

I have been doing this so long that people bring them to me, be it heirs, owners, dealers or collectors. So where did you get your last 3 Zodiacs from? What made you buy them in particular? When did you last swap a watch with someone?

[zaniac]

I'm not trying to call anybody out for buying or selling on ebay. I agree with Butch, I'm sure we all do the majority of our buying and selling on ebay. IF it is Lex's watch, I don't understand why he would lie about the purchase price and then go to all the trouble of not selling to the States just so we wouldn't see it. I hope everybody here can make some money when they decide to sell their Zodiac.
And since Lex has done some harmless ribbing of members here, I surely hope he can take some in return.
I would hate to see anybody leave the forum over such a minor thing.
To answer Butch's question, I do almost all my buying of Zodiac's on ebay. But it's not for lack of trying. I scour auctions and yard sales every weekend, but never find ANY good watches, let alone Zodiacs. I'm lucky to find even a mechanical watch, which is always a Timex. There was a nice Elgin pocket watch at the last auction I was to, very ornate. But someone stole it before it came up on the block. I will be attending this auction this Saturday:
http://www.hess-auction.com/auctions/view/180/.pl
It's hard to see what the watches are in the distant photos and the descriptions under Jewelery Catalog are sorely lacking. I'll probably be bidding on any Zodiacs, but if anyone sees any watches they're interested in, let me know. Please understand, I can't be bidding on any high $ Rolex's or anything. But who knows, things may go cheaper than ebay.

[longview65]

I usually buy most of my watches from members on other Watch Forums! 
Ebay auctions sometimes will yield some VERY good bargains but ya have to be lucky!
Another GREAT source for buying watches (at least it's been good for me) is on my local Craigs list.
I have found some fantastic bargains there!  Garage sales/flea markets/estate sales have yielded absolutely nothing for me!

[Sea Wolf]

I always thought Lex was upfront about his ebay handle and gave it to everyone when he posted his SSW on ebay for like 3k
with a funny description attached to it and Butch posted the bay# somewhere here.

[orangecorallimorph]

I bullseyed my last 3 Zodiacs off the treacherous battleground of "E-bay". I fancy myself a Carlos Hathcock of the "watch list"! <pun intended However I am sure that there are some other "master marksmen" on this site also. Alas the only thing that has ever stopped me was a shot that ended up just way too far out of range! 
Keep it real-OC

[longview65]

Well I see the $300.00 was a "no go" so I'm now wondering IF he will re-list it at a more "reasonable" price??

[davec73]

I guess his deafening silence speaks volumes, no more btw, I just bought seven Pateks for every day of the week.

[orangecorallimorph]

"I just bought seven Pateks for every day of the week."

Now all you need is seven more, for the OTHER wrist.!!

[jon p]

i do buy a lot of my watches on the bay because i can reach a wide range of world wide sellers from the comfort of my computer desk. i do search flea mkts on a regular basis, have found a few deals, like a glycine gmt 2000 quartz with orig bracelet and running for $35.00, seller didnt know what it was and the value is around $250. in the 2 tone. i also picked up a 18k case bulgari out of a pile of junk watches for $7.50!!!! quartz, not running. sold for gold scrap for $800. the watch shows i attend with a fellow collector arent as good as years ago, internet has killed them for sure. i trade a lot with a good friend who is a big time collector also, he is retired and spends all his time searching for wrist and pocket watches. i let him find them and we do some serious trading. this is the true fun of this hobby, i collet zodiac but also other brands, i have quite a few older bulova dive watches.we are all into watches in different ways and i always appreciate others with their intrests.

[dmh]

Where do I get my Zodiacs?
I'll admit it. I'm hooked on Zodiacs. I'm also a NAWCC member and try to go to 3 or 4 shows a year. I have bought cheap, sold high and made good trades for Zodiacs at these shows. Not every show is a winner. You just have to have patience. You never know what you are going to find or sell. I also buy and sell on ebay using multiple handles. Just sold this one.
110797928508
just bought this one
350520278077
I also hit a lot of the local yard sales. Seems like the only thing I ever find of any value are Seikos and a few Citizens. Never pay over $1 for them and less most of the time. Did find a Sea Wolf at one, but the guy was wearing it and wouldn't sell it. He got it when he was in the Army.  I gave up on Pawn Shops long ago, but my son picked up a 1967 Bulova Accutron Astronaut for $20. Sold it on ebay for almost $400.
There is another Zodiac nut not too far away and we meet from time to time at the local Starbucks to drink coffee buy,sell and swap parts and watches.
If I had my drathers , I prefer a face to face deal. I just like to see and handle before I pay my money.
Best,
dmh

[longview65]

Being able to find "Vintage" Zodiacs for me has pretty much proven to be fruitless as other then on the Bay I pretty much never run across any!
The few trade shows I have attended have yielded me nothing and for the very FEW Zodiacs I have seen there the prices were out of this world! 
I used to buy my newer Zodiacs from the Fossil outlet store here locally for around $60.00 or so but they stopped selling them!
I sold all of my newer ones off and now am down to only two................ the mid-sized GMT I own and this one:
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee212/kelso47/seawolf.jpg
I have a NOS crystal for it but have yet to get it installed!

[LexLoci]

Well, I clearly missed the last few days of posts on this thread! It literally took me a few minutes this morning to stop laughing before I could type properly.

I deliberately and purposefully only listed the GMT to non US buyers, due to all the bitching and moaning on here when I offered it first to VZ members, who are mostly US based. However, given the rude and ungrateful responses to timemachine when he offered up his SSW's, I wasn't surprised.  It was not an attempt to conceal the auction from certain folks on here, (we all search internationally when we run an Ebay search - they come up at the bottom of the screen after the north american listings...I mean, come on...) The move not to sell to US customers was a specific and deliberate F-YOU to the whiners on here. Clearly, based on the above, it was a well deserved one at that.

I will not be offering another watch on here, EVER. I mean really, some of the members on here are just plain pathetic. Some, like Butch, SeaWolf, and Orange, are cool as hell. But lately the bad has outweighed the good by a large margin.

As for the GMT bought by someone with the same feedback score? Coincidence.  But for the conspiracy theorists, and in the interests of full disclosure, I recently changed my handle on ebay to "hogtownlawyer", so please by all means come and look for my auctions! Then feverishly huddle in your virtual sewing circle and kvetch to one another about me! But don't spend too much time sifting through search results....I don't sell often on ebay, as I really don't need the $$$ and their fees are retarded anyway.

I like vintage Zodiacs and will keep buying and selling them as I please.

FYI....I bought that yellow-black checkeboard bezel off ebay recently too! But I used my "ebay bucks" accrued in 2011, so it cost me nothing!!! :)

Later haters.....

LEX

[davec73]

The gent who sold the gmt left you positive feedback for the same item (Member - t140vbonni)  and vice versa.  You bought a gmt from him for $240 and he left you feedback for it. 

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=t140vbonni&&_trksid=p4340.l2560&iid=120811459720&sspagename=VIP:feedback&ftab=FeedbackAsSeller

Being a liar is one thing, being a dumb, beligerent one is another.

[davec73]

Well, I clearly missed the last few days of posts on this thread! It literally took me a few minutes this morning to stop laughing before I could type properly.

I deliberately and purposefully only listed the GMT to non US buyers, due to all the bitching and moaning on here when I offered it first to VZ members, who are mostly US based. However, given the rude and ungrateful responses to timemachine when he offered up his SSW's, I wasn't surprised.  It was not an attempt to conceal the auction from certain folks on here, (we all search internationally when we run an Ebay search - they come up at the bottom of the screen after the north american listings...I mean, come on...) The move not to sell to US customers was a specific and deliberate F-YOU to the whiners on here. Clearly, based on the above, it was a well deserved one at that.

I will not be offering another watch on here, EVER. I mean really, some of the members on here are just plain pathetic. Some, like Butch, SeaWolf, and Orange, are cool as hell. But lately the bad has outweighed the good by a large margin.

As for the GMT bought by someone with the same feedback score? Coincidence.  But for the conspiracy theorists, and in the interests of full disclosure, I recently changed my handle on ebay to "hogtownlawyer", so please by all means come and look for my auctions! Then feverishly huddle in your virtual sewing circle and kvetch to one another about me! But don't spend too much time sifting through search results....I don't sell often on ebay, as I really don't need the $$$ and their fees are retarded anyway.

I like vintage Zodiacs and will keep buying and selling them as I please.

FYI....I bought that yellow-black checkeboard bezel off ebay recently too! But I used my "ebay bucks" accrued in 2011, so it cost me nothing!!! :)

Later haters.....

LEX

Just wanted to quote this so you didn't try to erase it like you've done with other posts when you're caught in your fabrications of reality. 

[orangecorallimorph]

Hey thanks for the atta-boy Lex!!
You definitely have blowed the carbon out of the engine around here, so to speak!! Stick around cuz this site won't be the same w/o you!!
May all your buys be low,
and all your sells be high!!
If i can't afford it, I certainly cannot bemoan someone who can. I love to see ALL of the watches sell HIGH, because that makes all of mine that much more valuable..
As for fabrication of stories...well I love a good one as much as the next guy....so in the meantime,
Keep it real- OC

ps: Are you really a "hogtownlawyer" cuz I can always use some good legal advice!! LMFAO!!!

[dmh]

Lex,
Use of words like;

rubes
bitching
moaning
rude
ungrateful
F-You
whiners
pathetic
haters

in your posts to describe forum members or their posts are unlikely to win friends or influence people. Even you may need a friend one day. I would suggest you curtail your watch and bezel buying for awhile, and invest in an online course in manners.
Best,
dmh

[Ultra-Vintage]

Watching quietly......

[jon p]

DITTO..........

[davec73]

Just for fun, I went ahead and bought the watch in question. I paid $100 bucks Canadian.  It came in the original box, and is 100% MINT.

Lol,  my hero!!

[orangecorallimorph]

ROLMFAO!!!

Ya'll are a hoot!

Keep it real-OC