Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Zodiac Automatic Dive Stainless Steel Wristwatch, c. 1960
- Maker / attribution
- Zodiac (maker)
- Date
- c. 1960
- Historical period
- Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- stainless steel
- Auction house
- LiveAuctioneers auction archive
- Lot
- Item 206555316
- Credit line
- Auction lot record: lot 156, Wackenhut Tyecliffe Castle Estate Auction, Market Auctions (2025), via LiveAuctioneers
- Catalogue title (original)
- Zodiac Automatic Dive Stainless Steel Wristwatch (English)
View the source record (auction lot) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by LiveAuctioneers auction archive (lot Item 206555316), this is a wristwatch by Zodiac, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1960. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: stainless steel. The record is illustrated with 4 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Lot description — Market Auctions
Zodiac Automatic Dive Stainless Steel Wristwatch. original crown and band, circa 1960's. Have a similar item to sell? Contact us at info@marketauctionsinc.com Please review all photos closely. The non-appearance of a condition report does not mean that the lot is in perfect condition, does not show wear due to age and use, or is free from damage. Market Auctions Inc. strongly suggests that you request a condition report before placing a bid. You may request one from us via this auction platform. Please note that any condition reports are given as strictly as a courtesy to interested parties and should not be considered a statement of fact. Market Auctions Inc. bears no responsibility for any error or omission. All sales are final and sold as is. Measurements are approximated. Please note shipping is not included. All collectibles, silver, antiques, and paintings please contact our third party shipper listed below: Juniors Auction Services 561-510-0345 / juniorsauctionservices@gmail.com UPS Store 1226 (561) 835-9791 /? store1226@theupsstore.com DM Postal (561) 469-6137 / dmpostal5001@gmail.com For furniture and very large items, please contact an appropriate freight / transport company for shipment. SALES TAX NOTICE PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that Market Auction, Inc., only collects and remits sales tax on items purchased by Florida residents. ALL OUT OF STATE purchasers are required to pay sales tax to their respective States. Purchasers holding valid resale certificates must provide proof of same prior to purchase. Market Auctions, Inc. takes no responsibility for purchaser failure to remit sales tax to the proper non-Florida taxing authority and for any fines or penalties that may result.
Historical context
Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.
The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking
Atlas type guide
Dive and water-resistant watches
Keeping water and dust out of a wristwatch was a long-standing challenge. Rolex's screw-down Oyster case (1926) and Omega's Marine (1932) were landmarks; in the early 1950s Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms and Rolex's Submariner defined the professional dive watch with rotating bezels for timing dives, luminous dials and high water resistance. The ISO 6425 standard (1982) later codified what a 'diver's watch' must do.
Dive watches became icons of post-war design and exploration, and their evolution — helium escape valves, ceramic bezels, saturation-diving depth ratings — records the history of underwater work.
What to look for
- Unidirectional or bidirectional rotating bezel with minute markings.
- Screw-down crown and case back; depth rating printed on the dial.
- Luminous hands and markers (radium before c. 1960, tritium c. 1960–1998, then Super-LumiNova).
- Reference numbers on the case between the lugs or inside the back.
Dating clues
- Screw-down Oyster cases: from 1926.
- Professional dive watches: from 1953.
- Tritium 'T' marks on dials: c. 1960–1998.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
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