Here is a recent project that I wanted to share. This is a First Generation Seawolf that I recently restored and added to my collection. If you have been interested in Zodiacs for very long you already know how hard to find these can be, and to find one with an original dial is pretty much impossible.
In 15+ years I had never seen a Seawolf with an original first generation dial for sale. That being the case, I did not want to touch the dial whatsoever. I instead wanted to make the luminous from the hands and bezel triangle match the original luminous on the dial, while doing everything else for the restoration. When I got it, the hand lume was a bright green later replacement and the lume from the bezel triangle was missing.
What makes matching luminous like this so difficult is that it is not a uniform color. It may appear to be so, but once you look at it with a loupe you can see that it is speckled with different shades or black, green, and brown. Using a few different techniques we were able to get what I think is a really nice match for what could be aged original luminous on the hands. In person the hand luminous is slightly darker, and matches the dial even closer than in the pictures (the hands had charged a little and were glowing slightly when the pictures were taken, thus changing the color a little). I also made the bezel triangle a little darker, thinking that in the real world it would have gotten more moisture exposure than the dial lume and would be darker as a result.
In trying to keep with the slightly aged original look, I wanted a band that would compliment that. I had the band custom made in Europe, and although it is more than 4mm thick, it may be the softest band on any of my watches. I think it was the final piece in pulling the whole look together.
Overall, during the restoration the watch had:
-Full mechanical service and adjustment
-Re-lume of the hands and bezel triangle
-Clean/polish/brush of the case
-Clean/brush, and re-black of numbers on the bezel
-NOS signed Zodiac crown
-New crystal
-New band
:)
:)
I wanted to add that in regards to Zodiac history, I think that Seawolf models like this are pretty significant. These were made in the 1950s, when watch companies were first making and marketing dive models to the general public. So not only did this model lead to the later Seawolfs and GMTs that we like so much, it can also stand along side the famous early divers like the Eterna KonTiki, Enicar 100 Fathoms, Rolex Submariner, and Blancpain Fifty Fathoms among others.
:woohoo; UV, great pics of a SW i have NEVER seen before. now i can really see who the daddy to my late 60s SW! man, that crystal stuck way up, bet it didnt take long to scratch it up.
WOW, nice!
It looks a bit smaller than the later Sea Wolf?
A wristshot perhaps? :)
Quote from: dawej on January 04, 2014, 04:03:11 PM
WOW, nice!
It looks a bit smaller than the later Sea Wolf?
A wristshot perhaps? :)
Nope, I just measured it and it is roughly the same size case. 34x42
very interesting, a screw on back!
that is so sweet!...I want to be next! :woohoo;
Anyone have a bezel laying around?
Congrats, that really is a cool find.
Mine says hi! I found a 1st gen SW myself, a couple of years back, but yours is the first black dial I've seen.
(https://www.vintagezodiacs.com/zforums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv235%2FZaphod04%2FZodiac%2520Sea%2520Wolf%25201st%2520Generation%2FDSC00457.jpg&hash=8cda69c60f805c107289b12f8cc46cc93645d685)
(https://www.vintagezodiacs.com/zforums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv235%2FZaphod04%2FZodiac%2520Sea%2520Wolf%25201st%2520Generation%2FP7280755.jpg&hash=c34885476087d87685f880d09e603ba0904b1e58)
(https://www.vintagezodiacs.com/zforums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv235%2FZaphod04%2FZodiac%2520Sea%2520Wolf%25201st%2520Generation%2FP7250740.jpg&hash=4c37c8f9bdf3ec698507da6098b7b4bdbc249e95)
I don't know if there has ever been any restoration or relume done to it, but there's no indication to me that there was.
I can't manage to wear this one too much, as the bracelet is a bit tight, with no spare links. Besides, babying it is the order of the day, I'd probably never find replacemnent parts for anything dinged up.
I think the 1st Gen really is slightly smaller than the later 1960s Sea Wolves, but not by a whole lot. Mine measures about 34mm case diameter, as against my later version SW-s that measure about 35.5mm. Like the later versions though, it's still very legible, in spite of the reduced size. Who says a dive watch has to be 45mm to be usable? :)
That is a really nice one John! Definitely rare with the original box and tag, that's one to hold on to :cool;