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1970's Zodiac Sea Wolf Vintage Vietnam Era Divers Watch - Stainless Steel
$1,745
£1,322.95
€1,525.01
CA$2,457.55
A$2,725.24
CHF 1,431.91
MX$33,297.85
NOK 17,915.19
SEK 16,816.47
DKK 11,384.51
About the Item
NAMED ONE OF WATCHPRO MAGAZINE’S “HOT 100” - THE TOP 100 INFLUENCERS OF THE U.S. WATCH INDUSTRY. HOW CAN WE SERVE YOU?
We’re new to offering our carefully curated collection on 1stDibs, but we have sold over 10,000 fine watches and exceptionally served thousands of customers with a 5.0 star rating.
1970's Zodiac Sea Wolf Vintage Vietnam Era Divers Watch - Stainless Steel
Historic Vietnam-Era Tool Watch - Fully Serviced - One-Year Warranty
The Zodiac Sea Wolf holds a unique place in horological history. Introduced in 1953, at the birth of the dive-watch genre quite, it debuted alongside the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and Rolex Submariner as one of the very first professional divers ever offered to the public. While Blancpain and Rolex pursued the luxury and military-contract market, Zodiac carved a different path: building a rugged, and affordable diver that brought professional underwater timing to a generation of military servicemen, working divers and young explorers. That accessibility proved decisive.
Through PX stores, the Sea Wolf became a trusted companion to U.S. troops in Vietnam — including Navy SEALs and members of the legendary Underwater Demolition Teams. For many, it was their first “real” watch, bought with their own pay. To strap on a Sea Wolf in that era was to carry a piece of essential kit, not a luxury item. Its no-nonsense functionality, rotating bezel, and 200-meter rating made it a watch you could stake your life on. Period photos show Zodiac Sea Wolfs on the wrists of soldiers in jungle fatigues, their rotating bezels scuffed from daily use in the field. Unlike some luxury divers, which were aspirational symbols, the Sea Wolf was a watch you could actually afford to take into combat.
And yet, beyond its toughness, the Sea Wolf helped establish the style language of the modern dive watch. Its compact case, bold bezel, luminous hands and markers, and brightly accented dial inserts set the template for what a diver should look like. On the wrist today, it carries that same vintage tool-watch charisma — rugged, purposeful, and steeped in history, wearing like a piece of authentic tool history, not a nostalgic costume.
This duality — pioneering dive technology on one hand, grassroots military adoption on the other — makes the Sea Wolf fascinating to collectors today. It wasn’t a boutique darling; it was a tool watch in the truest sense. And it carried the DNA of a genre it helped popularize: 200m water resistance, luminous dial and hands, a bold elapsed-time bezel, hack seconds for precision time-setting, and a rugged case that made it both practical and stylish.
On the wrist now, a vintage Sea Wolf is more than a timepiece. It is a tangible link to the pioneering days of dive-watch development, when brands were racing to solve the real problems of underwater exploration. It is a cultural artifact of the Vietnam era, worn in the field by servicemen whose stories still resonate. It’s a link to the early optimism of scuba diving, when every descent felt like exploration; to the grit of Vietnam-era service, where soldiers relied on these watches in the field; and to the enduring design that still defines the dive-watch category seventy years later. It is a watch with stories embedded in its case — stories of adventure, survival, and an era when the wristwatch was not an accessory but essential gear. And it is an authentic, wearable vintage diver from one of the more important periods in the history of watchmaking.
Our watch is one of the slightly less common with date.
It has all of its original parts down to its original Zodiac bracelet with the only exception being its winding crown, which was replaced in vintage times. These watches often lived hard lives, and parts replacement was part of the usual necessary maintenance regimen to insure their performance in demanding conditions.
Its case body presents in excellent condition with only fairly light signs of previous polishing, a bit of wear at the center of the back, a some spots of aging between the lugs mostly hidden by the bracelet end pieces. Its bezel shows age appropriate wear. Its dial presents as just short of mint with toned luminous. Its fantastic J.B. Champion for Zodiac bracelet presents as mint. Our photos couldn't do it justice.
One of our Master Watchmakers has fully serviced the watch which consists of fully disassembling the movement, carefully inspecting each part, replacing any overly worn components like the crystal, tightening the cannon pinion, reassembling and lubricating the movement, and extensive timing testing and regulation (a $695 value).
It is running very strong and true, keeping time better than many new Rolex watches in our timing recording position.
Your watch is important to us, and we will take care of it for its lifetime. We provide the best after sale care in the business with an extremely experienced team of four Master Watchmakers all of whom each have over thirty-five years of experience and a large number of parts. One used to be the watchmaker for an authorized Rolex dealership and was given training by Rolex at their Beverly Hills Service Center.
Detailed Appraisal:
Manufacturer: Zodiac
Country of origin: Switzerland
Year built: Circa early 1970's
Model: Sea Wolf
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Automatic, Date, Sweep Seconds
Designed for: Men
Case material: Stainless steel
Dimensions: 35mm wide (without crown), 42.5mm lugs tip-to-tip
Case markings (outside): Zodiac Sea Wolf, Water-Tested, 20 ATM Especially
Case condition: Presents in excellent condition with only fairly light signs of previous polishing, a bit of wear at the center of the back, a some spots of aging between the lugs mostly hidden by the bracelet end pieces.
Dial: Signed Zodiac Sea Wolf, black with luminous trapezoidal markers, date at 3
Hands: Original matching hands with luminous material
Movement type: Signed Zodiac, self-winding, "hack" seconds feature for precise timing and coordination
Jewels: 17 rubies
Band: Original, very high quality J.B Champion for Zodiac, signed, sized to fit a wrist up to approx. 7.4 inches on largest setting, adjustable, presents as mint with only light signs of previous polishing
Width between lugs: 17mm
Crystal: Acrylic, excellent condition
Serviced: One of our Master Watchmakers has fully serviced the watch which consists of fully disassembling the movement, carefully inspecting each part, replacing any overly worn components like the crystal, tightening the cannon pinion, reassembling and lubricating the movement, and extensive timing testing and regulation (a $695 value).
Timing: Timed to precision on a state-of-the-art computerized system. It is running very strong and true, keeping time better than many new Rolex watches in our timing recording position.
Warranty: 1-year international warranty.
Your watch is important to us, and we will take care of it for its lifetime. We provide the best after sale care in the business with an extremely experienced team of four Master Watchmakers all of whom each have over thirty-five years of experience and a large number of parts. One used to be the watchmaker for an authorized Rolex dealership and was given training by Rolex at their Beverly Hills Service Center.
Box/Papers: BOX - Watch presentation box; PAPERS - Custom printed Certificate of Authenticity; New timing certificate
SKU 8635
- Creator:
- Case Material:
- Strap Material:Stainless Steel
- Case Shape:Round
- Movement:
- Case Dimensions:Height: 1.68 in (42.5 mm)Width: 1.38 in (35 mm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1975
- Condition:Its case body presents in excellent condition with only fairly light signs of previous polishing, a some spots of aging between the lugs mostly hidden by the bracelet end pieces. Its dial presents as just short of mint with toned luminous.
- Seller Location:Suwanee, GA
- Reference Number:Seller: 86351stDibs: LU4333227288922
About the Seller
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- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Suwanee, GA
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