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Early Sea Wolf

Started by Cobra Jock, August 10, 2009, 04:22:41 PM

Cobra Jock

I got this Sea Wolf from an online vintage watch site.  After it arrived I noted that the luminous markers and hands glowed in the dark, very dimly, with a slightly bluish color.  I checked the watch with a geiger counter and discovered the dial was still radioactive (about 3 mrem/hr at the crystal, less at the back).  Not so bad that I wouldn't wear it, just kind of an interesting surprise.  Not sure when the radium dials were replaced with tritium, but I think this happened before 1960 or so.  The print just below the 6 o'clock marker is "SWISS" and not the later "SWISS T <25 MC" which indicated tritium. If anyone has more info, please share.  A great watch.

Butch

To my knowledge, Radium was phased out in the 60s and by the 70s Tritium was in use in Swiss watches. As Tritium turned out to be somewhat of a dud, it was later replaced by Super Luminova in the late 90s.

There is a plethora of information on this in the Net on this subject, so much so that I got distracted for about 30 minutes verifying my knowledge before responding to this.

Butch


Quote from: Cobra Jock on August 10, 2009, 04:22:41 PM
I got this Sea Wolf from an online vintage watch site.  After it arrived I noted that the luminous markers and hands glowed in the dark, very dimly, with a slightly bluish color.  I checked the watch with a geiger counter and discovered the dial was still radioactive (about 3 mrem/hr at the crystal, less at the back).  Not so bad that I wouldn't wear it, just kind of an interesting surprise.  Not sure when the radium dials were replaced with tritium, but I think this happened before 1960 or so.  The print just below the 6 o'clock marker is "SWISS" and not the later "SWISS T <25 MC" which indicated tritium. If anyone has more info, please share.  A great watch.
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Cobra Jock

Right, like you, I found numerous articles about the radioactive and phosphorescent materials used for watch luminescence.  As for the Sea Wolf, it would be interesting to determine when Zodiac made the changes in dial, hands, and lume material.  Also, did Zodiac use existing parts from earlier versions until newer ones were available?  The hands on this one look like those of the pre-Sea Wolf, but the dial is the classic style.  I actually like the hands without the divider - they're kind of funky looking.

Butch

So much history has been lost along the way as there have been so many Brand owners. The hands on yours are indeed early. The lum kept falling out of those so in the very early 60's they added in the center vein to help hold the large amount of lum stay in place.
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JDS (Ohio)

#4
Butch,
When was the first Sea Wolf dive watch released?  I could swear I saw a 1954 or 1953 date for it somewhere.  If that is the case, it wouldn't be too surprising to find early Sea Wolves with radium lume.

Cobrajock,
Cool old Sea Wolf, congrats!  
John

Butch

My records indicate 1953 for the introduction of the Sea Wolf, but they do not specify is it is the screw back 10 ATM diver or the Sea Wolf we think of today.

Butch
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poulbrix

Butch is right. The Zodiac Seawolf was introduced prior to Basel Fair in 1953.

JDS (Ohio)

#7
Quote from: poulbrix on August 13, 2009, 12:10:04 AM
Butch is right. The Zodiac Seawolf was introduced prior to Basel Fair in 1953.
Sounds like Blancpain, Rolex, and Zodiac (and others?) were in some sort of mad race to be the first to market with the modern dive watch configuration, and BP managed to edge the others out - barely.  Do you know if the 1953 Sea Wolf had the rotating bezel and WR of the later Sea Wolves, or was it a non-diver configuration?
John

Butch

#8
I believe this watch to be the predecessor to the Sea Wolf...  Butch
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