Astrographic mistery... and I don't mean the dial

[L. Ocle]

This here is the cover of Cronometria issue of April '72, the spanish watchmakers' association magazine from which I'll scan the interview with the Zodiac Iberia SL (the Spanish branch) chairman.

In the meantime... do you see anything strange in the watches? 

[Butch]

Yes, and I understand your confusion. The order of appearance was:

Orbiter with date at 3, 28K movement
Astrographic with date at 3, 28K movement
Astrographic with date at 12, 36K movement (SST version)

So I am guessing that the date of this publication was around 1969 then, give or take a year?

[L. Ocle]

Uuups, I did it again... 

Hey, that's why you are the boss... 

No, I just was not sure but I thought that they never existed Astros with 28k and date at 3, so I was assuming it was a prehistoric use of photoshop, in order to write Astrographic in an Orbiter to have the ad done.  I'm a kook collector...

Now you cleared it to me... Everything ok, then.

BTW, how'd you feel if I tell you that I found in an antiques bookshop of Bergamo, Italy, a magazine  (16 pages) from 1987 dedicated entirely to Zodiac watches history?  It's in Italian, but we can easily understand most written Italian. Just purchased it, 20$ with shipping, waiting to arrive.

[Butch]

That is great news, thanks Luis!

I THINK if you go through all the late 60's catalogs you can see the evolution of the Orbiter to Astor, all three versions. It has been a while but I THINK it is in them.

[L. Ocle]

yes, you are right. They are in the 1971 small catalog.

I had so deeply assumed that Astros had date at 12 that I hadn't noticed...

Note of the day: never say anything without previously checking the catalogs.

[Butch]

HAHAHAHAHA! I have to admit, having had to thumb through the catalogs to answer so many questions over the past 15 years, I LIKE having them online so others can do their own research and I can just thumb through the Playboys now...

[L. Ocle]

You can also scan those vintage Playboys for members if you want! 

BTW... for 28k movement you mean 28.000 a/h?

Weren't they 21.600?

[Butch]

"Yeah, 220, 221. Whatever it takes." movie quote from "Mr. Mom" in 1983.

Yes, you are correct. The caliber 7x was 21,600 vibrations per hour. The high beat 8X was 36,000. (You made me go look it up man. In the manuals, on the web site.) My bad.

For those that are interested, the 28,000 bph movement I referred to was the ETA 2824-2 automatic movements used in the 1990's Zodiacs.

BTW, I fine it fascinating (and confusing) that Europeans use the . and Americans use the , to separate the thousands when writing out a number.