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Zodiac Automatic Triple Calendar Moon Phase (Ref. 742-908), 1970s — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Zodiac Automatic Triple Calendar Moon Phase (Ref. 742-908), 1970s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Zodiac (maker)
Date
1970s
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Stock no.
ZATC742908
Credit line
Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (ZATC742908)
Catalogue title (original)
1970s Zodiac Automatic Triple Calendar Moon Phase (Ref. 742-908) (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number ZATC742908), this is a wristwatch by Zodiac, made in Switzerland, dated 1970s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 6 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

Dealer description — Craft & Tailored

SPECS Stock # ZATC742908 Brand Zodiac Style Triple Calendar Moon Phase Model 742-908 Serial 20XXXXX Size Men's Material Stainless Steel Dial Glossy Black (Moonphase) Millimeters 34 Bracelet 2pc Lizard Skin Strap CASE & BRACELET The stainless steel case is in great condition with long, straight lugs that show honest signs of use. The case retains its original unsigned crown. The case back features a scale etching and is otherwise super clean, especially considering its age. The watch will come supplied on a 2pc black lizard skin strap. DIAL & HANDS The dial is a deep, ink-black, with a fantastic mix of typography and design. The trapezoidal hour indices coincide with the date function. The day and month windows are at 11 and 1 o'clock, respectively, with the moon phase window at 6. All four hands are steel, and the date hand is tipped with a red arrow. The lume on the dial and hands has aged to a tan coloration and there is light lume degradation thoughout. ACCESSORIES

Historical context

Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)

Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.

Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

Atlas type guide

Calendar, moon-phase and perpetual calendar watches

Calendar complications range from a simple date to the perpetual calendar, which automatically allows for months of different lengths and leap years until 2100. Pocket watches with perpetual calendars were made in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; Patek Philippe made the first perpetual calendar wristwatch in 1925, and series production followed in 1941. The annual calendar (Patek Philippe, 1996) needs correction only once a year.

Moon-phase displays use a disc with two moons and 59 teeth advanced daily, approximating the 29.5-day lunation; more precise trains reduce the error to one day in over a century.

What to look for

  • Apertures or subsidiary dials for day, date, month and leap year.
  • Moon disc under a 'bosom' shaped aperture.
  • Recessed correctors on the case band for setting the calendar.

Dating clues

  • Triple-date wristwatches: popular c. 1940–1955.
  • Perpetual calendar wristwatches: from 1925 (unique) and 1941 (series).

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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