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Zodiac 'Heuer' 12 Dato 2547S, 1960s — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Zodiac 'Heuer' 12 Dato 2547S, 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
Dimensions
Case 36 mm
Stock no.
Product 766865965143
Credit line
Dealer listing, S.Song Watches (product 766865965143)
Catalogue title (original)
Zodiac 'Heuer' 12 Dato 2547S (English)

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

Record summary

Catalogued by S.Song Watches (dealer), Seattle (stock number Product 766865965143), 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. Recorded dimensions: Case 36 mm. 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 — S.Song Watches

Despite the dial of this watch saying Zodiac, this is without doubt, through and through a Heuer 2547S. There are other watches out there dubbed ‘Poor Man’s Heuers’, but they have case and dial variations that warrants that nickname. This Zodiac though, is 100% the same as a Heuer 2547S, only that it was rebranded. The 36mm stainless steel case even has the same ‘2547’ reference number engraved between the lugs! This Zodiac 2547 is a very complicated watch. It is a triple calendar chronograph, with apertures at 12 o’clock showing the day and month, with a forth central hand pointing to an outer calendar track on the dial displaying the date. Three subdials complete the look for the chronograph function and despite the amount of information needing to be displayed on a small dial, it remains very legible. I’ve always thought that the triple calendar chronograph classic layout to be one of the best-designed dials. Powering this watch is a high-quality Valjoux 72C, with the ‘C’ standing for calendar. It is a column wheel movement and perhaps one of the most popular high-quality movements used in the era, powering watches such as the Heuer Autavia/Carrera and Rolex Daytona. At the end of the day, past all the history and technicalities, this is just a beautiful vintage watch presenting excellent value. While its Heuer cousin commands a huge premium over this Zodiac, the attention that Heuer has been getting lately will ensure that the value of these is corrected soon, just look at the Orvis Solunagraph!

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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