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Zodiac Hermetic Aerospace Jet 24Hr (Ref. 758), 1960s — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Zodiac Hermetic Aerospace Jet 24Hr (Ref. 758), 1960s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Zodiac (maker)
Date
1960s
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Stock no.
ZZHAJ758
Credit line
Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (ZZHAJ758)
Catalogue title (original)
1960s Zodiac Hermetic Aerospace Jet 24Hr (Ref. 758) (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 ZZHAJ758), this is a wristwatch by Zodiac, made in Switzerland, dated 1960s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) 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 # ZZHAJ758 Brand Zodiac Style Hermetic Aerospace Jet Model 758 Serial 13XXXXX Size Men's Material Stainless Steel Dial Silver '24-Hour' Millimeters 34 Strap 2pc Handmade Leather Strap CASE & BRACELET The stainless steel case is in excellent condition, exhibiting no notable evidence of previous polishing with honest wear present throughout. The case has fantastic bold lugs that amp up the watch's presence on the wrist. The Hermetic showcases a special snap-down case back that features an unusual water-resistant system, not unlike that found on its sibling model the Sea-Wolf. The watch comes supplied on a 2pc handmade ostrich leather strap. DIAL & HANDS The original silver 24-hour dial is in virtually flawless condition, exhibiting no damage and no notable age. The tritium lume plots have achieved a charming creamy patina and display no degradation under UV light inspection. The original black hands are also in perfect condition with matching tritium lume that exhibits no degradation when inspected under UV light. ACCESSORIES

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

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

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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