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Help Identifying and valuating a SeaWolf-new member

Started by watchlib, August 14, 2013, 05:22:01 PM

watchlib

Hi folks-

First time poster and new member, I have a Zodiac SeaWolf watch I just acquired by chance and this looks like the place for accurate opinions.

I will post photos of the watch as soon as my camera battery charges and I figure out how to upload.

Description of the watch: Black dial with a light blue or pale gray around the bezel. There is no day/date. Stainless steel case, bracelet, and Zodiac signed clasp. Bracelet/clasp appears original and show no real wear or scuffing to speak of, just very light surface hair scratches. The bracelet links surface are brushed, the ends of the links are polished. Bracelet doesn't appear to be stretched out and is in really nice shape, looks similar to Rolex Jubilee bracelets I've seen without the gold links in the center. Case back is marked 20ATM-ESPECIALLY, WATER-TESTED, Zodiac Seawolf, and logo. The Zodiac lettering, logo, and Seawolf + Automatic are done in a fine metallic silver. Hands are silver with luminous inlays, and the 12,3,6, and 9 markers are luminous triangles with the numbers in black. At the bottom of the dial it says SWISST<25MC. The bezel rotates smoothly in both directions. There is NO pitting or scratching on the case, back, bracelet lugs, bezel. The only thing I see wrong is some surface scratches/stress cracking of the crystal, but none of the cracks go all the way through the crystal. The black dial and all markers and indices and lettering are near perfect. Aside from the crystal, the watch appears to have been very lightly used and well taken care of. The watch winds, sets and runs fine, and observing it over the past couple days it is keeping time within 1-2 minutes a day. If I were to rate the watch condition wise I'd say it's an EASY 90%, possibly 95%.

Looking for a value, desirability, should I keep it, will it go up in value etc. etc.

Thanks for your help.












Here are the photos. Sorry for the delay.

As you can see the crystal at the top is the only significant defect I can find on the watch. It's weird, when you look at the crystal in a certain light, you can't see the cracks at all. Again, the stuff you see is NOT on the dial, that's perfect. The cracks are strange. They don't penetrate the crystal all the way through, but appear to go into the surface of the crystal a bit.

Butch

Nice catch, we await your pictures.

Meanwhile, check the for sale sections here to see what they go for.

While it "winds, sets and runs fine" you owe it to yourself to read this.
http://www.vintagezodiacs.com/watchrepair.php
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jon p

 :welc      glad to see a new member! you do have a nice seawolf, original bracelet, no date extra nice dial/hands. bezel also looks very good, plastic insert appears tp be excellent unless there is discoloration/ cracks i cant see. watch ebay, it is an excellent indicator of worldwide selling prices. heed butchs suggestion, if you want it to run and wear it, GET IT SERVICED SOON!!! that is stress cracks in the crystal, these watches have a very difficult snap on back and a lot of people put too much pressure on the crystal trying to get the back to snap in. replace the crystal when service is done, not expensive. i reccomend using our forum watch maker, he is a zodiac EXPERT. contact butch for info. the watch is worth some decent money and if you ARE going to WEAR  it spend the money for an expert service/restoration! welcome to the addictive world of zodiac ownership, you are starting with probably the most popular model, the sea wolf. BTW, from bracelet type and bezel type i would venture to say your watch dates to early 1970s. :wehe

watchlib

Thanks guys. Appreciate the help.

Butch, thanks for steering me over to your watchmaker. I spoke with him this morning, he was very prompt at getting back to me via email. Sounds like a nice guy and knows what he's doing.

I'll be sending that SeaWolf out to him in the near future for a service and a new crystal.

Thank you again. I'm looking forward to having this work done, this will be a real gem when it's done.

jmh86325

#4
Quote from: watchlib on August 16, 2013, 11:31:13 AM
Sounds like a nice guy and knows what he's doing.

:agreei

Butch

Quote from: watchlib on August 16, 2013, 11:31:13 AM
Butch, thanks for steering me over to your watchmaker.

We always simply refer to him as BWG here in the forum.

Thx!
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watchlib

It's been a few years since I've posted, in the meantime I'm proud to announce that my son has joined the US Navy, and completed his boot camp and dive prep training and finally graduated from the Panama City, FLA NDSTC last June 2017 and has joined the team of US Navy Divers around the world, currently stationed overseas at US Naval Station Bahrain, due to be home at Norfolk soon after completing his first overseas tour of duty. So proud of him, he's worked incredibly hard to become a Navy Diver and has had his ass beat hard during his training. This historic watch will be his someday. It is my understanding that the Seawolf was popular in the Vietnam era among SEALS and Divers due to the availability at Navy exchanges for around $100 at the time and was the only watch in that day to have a 200m depth rating. I'll stand corrected if this is untrue but this is what I've read.

Butch

Congrats to your son. You are right on most counts. They were cheaper than that in the military PXs.
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jon p

Butch is correct about the PX /BX sea wolfs, I bought mine in early may 1968, black dial, date, $55.00.i was in army basic training at ft benning GA.  I still own it ,has been restored to its original glory by BWG. it is only worn for special occasions now, and NEVER gets wet! brings back lots of memories !

dmh

$55 was expensive in 1968 if you were a private since your pay was only about $100 per month.
The PX's in Asia were full of Seiko's in the late 60's & they were about 1/3 the cost of a stateside ZODIAC.
If you saw a SEIKO on a wrist in the late 60's or early 70's, you could bet they had been stationed somewhere in Asia or gifted by same.
To my regret, I didn't come back with a Seiko since I had a watch. Had to get a buddy in Korea to send me one in 1971.
Most expensive Seiko in PX was:
25 jewel automatic day/date
2 tone/w oyster bracelet (Datejust look)
It was $17!

I'm convinced these cheap PX sales opened the door for Seiko in the USA.


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