Here we are with another version of this iconic watch, the Zodiac Ceramic Super Sea Wolf. Yes, Zodiac has jumped into the ceramic watch cases, as they have been trying to expand their lineup this past year, using different materials for both the dials and cases. Meteorite, titanium, and now ceramic. High gloss, all-black ceramic with a deep blue dial, but this one has a unique twist, the ceramic case is over a steel exoskeleton, which is pretty interesting, and makes this watch quite unique. Limited to 500 pieces and priced at $1,695, quite a good price considering this is still a COSC-certified piece.
Specifications:
40mm
316 Steel and Ceramic Case
13.5mm Thick
20mm Lug Width
48mm Lug to Lug
94.8 grams in weight
STP1-11 Automatic Movement
Sapphire Crystal
Ceramic Bezel Insert
200m Water Resistance
Tropic Rubber Strap
Made in Switzerland
Priced at $1,695
Zodiac Ceramic Super Sea Wolf Webpage
Even though this is the same design that Zodiac has been using for years now, there is still a lot to unpack here. Yes, the specs look pretty similar to all of their other offerings, but then you see ceramic. But not just ceramic, ceramic and stainless steel. I admit, that had me scratching my head as well when the Zodiac Ceramic Super Sea Wolf arrived as well. Ceramic is not a new case material, in fact, many brands have been using ceramic for decades now, with IWC and Rado introducing it in the 80s. These days, you can even get a ceramic watch for $300, even from Fossil, Zodiac’s parent brand.
Now that $300 Fossil is quartz, has a mineral crystal, and is only 5atm water resistant, so not in the same league as this Zodiac Ceramic Super Sea Wolf, but the fact remains you can get a “cheap” ceramic watch (with a ceramic bracelet as well) if you desire one. Unlike the fossil, the case of this ceramic diver is a two-piece case, with a ceramic case over a steel case, or at least a steel exoskeleton with steel lugs and a case back that is DLC coated. I am told it is not a coating, it is an actual case over a case and the goal here is to give the ceramic case strength to prevent it from being brittle and smashing into pieces if and when it is dropped or banged into something hard. Ceramic is extremely scratch resistant and very fade resistant as well, but because of how hard it is, it can be brittle. How this ceramic/steel case mashup actually holds up, only time will tell with the 500 buyers who got one. I personally would still take good care of this watch as you would with any other ceramic piece. After all, $1700 is not a small amount of cash, especially these days.
The dial is special on this limited model as well, even though at first glance it looks similar to the other Super Sea Wolf models. A domed sapphire crystal sits atop a dark blue dial, and the dial itself is unique in that it is lightly textured, but seems to have a slight gradient to it. Working with the domed sapphire, it creates a sunray pattern effect, but it’s not an actual sunray dial, at least not what I consider one. The texture is hard to see unless you get close up, normally it just appears to be a dark blue dial. The minute hand is done in black as are all the indices applied, and it is a really nice detail that matches the black of the ceramic case, and topping it all off is a gray chapter ring.
The dial text on the other hand, well is something I have complained about on all of the Sea Wolf models, and unfortunately nothing has changed on this Zodiac Ceramic Super Sea Wolf. Some may not care about this at all and just say I am nitpicking, but the unmatched text font, which is quite large for a small dial such as this, just doesn’t look right. It reminds me of Christopher Ward and their logo issues that they had for years, which only got corrected within the past two years finally, though it hasn’t made its way to all models yet. I hope Zodiac takes this feedback as constructive and maybe the designers can do a more cohesive and properly sized font for future models.
Looking over the rest of the watch, this Super Sea Wolf is equipped with the STP1-11 movement, Fossil’s own movement and this one is a certified chronometer, which does play into a higher price than the other versions of this model. While I have never had an issue myself with this movement or noticed an issue with this example, over the many Zodiac reviews I have done over the years, the comments about the movement are inevitable. Basically, crown and winding issues are the main complaints. I have always stated I am not one to wind my watch, I am a shake-and-go type of guy, always have been, so that could be the main reason I have not encountered this issue. Hopefully, Fossil rectifies this in the near future.
To wrap this all up, this limited Zodiac Ceramic Super Sea Wolf is quite the attractive piece, and when compared to all the other versions of this 40mm compression model, I believe this is the greatest-looking one in the bunch. That is surprising, considering I am not into highly polished glossy pieces normally, but the deep black of this ceramic just looks fantastic, and in combination with the dark blue dial, it is a fantastic-looking piece. The lume is good enough, not great, just as it has been on recent Zodiac models, and at $1700 I would have wished they would have included one of their new rubber dive straps over this tropic rubber, as they look and feel much more premium to me. With only 500 of this version, few will be able to get their hands on one, but I am betting Zodiac will make some different ceramic pieces in the future, especially if these end up selling well.
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