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The Watches

Zodiac Revives Olympos

While Zodiac is best-known for its dive watches, the company’s long history also includes creating watches for all types military or civilian adventure. One of those designs, the Olympos, is a field watch Zodiac originally created in 1961. 

From the start, the Olympos stood apart from traditional Swiss designs thanks to its distinctive, six-sided, manta-ray-shaped case and a crown located at the 2 o’clock position.

The new Zodiac Olympos Field closely echoes a military version Zodiac created for the British Royal Navy in the late 1960s.

The watch, nicknamed the ‘manta’, was a best-seller for many years for Zodiac, both as a dress model and even with sportier accents. Many might recall that Zodiac reprised the Olympos in 2018 with several dressy alternatives.

Zodiac in late 2022 updated the collection with a decidedly more rugged version, the Olympos Field, a design that most closely echoes a military version Zodiac created for the British Royal Navy in the late 1960s.

The newest model features a newly contoured steel case and stronger water resistance, which now is rated to 200 meters. The new watch also echoes the military look of traditional field watches, with easy-to-read, luminous numerals and black or dark green textured dial options.

The green-dialed model arrives on a sharp-looking light brown leather strap lined with sporty white stitching. The darker model, with its black dial, comes with a dark brown strap that’s also lined with white stitching.

And like the recently released Super Sea Wolf Ceramic, the new Zodiac Olympos Field is powered by the automatic STP 1-11 movement that it protects with a solid caseback emblazoned with Zodiac logo.

ZOD5062735

Zodiac now offers its new Olympos Field watch is available on zodiacwatches.com. Price: $895.

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American Brands

Wilbur Launches Gold and Ceramic EXP

California-based Wilbur expands its EXP collection with the EXP C-1, a new model encased in black ceramic and a customized gold alloy.

The new watch is the first edition of the eight-sided, nine-part EXP case Wilbur has built using a precious metal. The EXP-C1 joins two existing EXP offerings, one with a steel case and another with a ceramic/steel case.

The new gold model adds an option to collectors in search of a more luxurious version of the Wilbur EXP, a 41.5mm open-worked, three-hand watch with date.

“We fell in love with a set of champagne gold wheels on a Porsche GT2 and set out to replicate the color,” explains Wilbur founder Jason Wilbur. “We wanted a modern and futuristic gold not a traditional gold, so we developed our own.”

He notes that the contrast between the matte black ceramic case-core and the TechGold steel lugs and bezel makes for a “super modern and unique version of a gold watch.”

The new Wilbur EXP C-1.

The EXP fits into the Wilbur collection between the entry model called Launch Edition and the new, highly customized LEO. Like the other Wilbur designs, the EXP offers a futuristic three-dimensional architectural design that exposes its automatic movement, which appears to be floating within its skeletal case. The watch’s chapter ring seems to float above a semi-transparent dial that clears the view to the automatic movement. 

Like all EXP models, the C1 version is built in the United States using a Sellita automatic movement at its base, modified and regulated in-house by Wilbur. The watchmaker also makes a selection of colorful silicone straps for the EXP-C1, all of which can be quickly changed by the wearer.

Price: $7,125. 

Wilbur EXP silicone strap options.

Specifications: Wilbur EXP-C1

Case:  41.50mm by 41.50mm by 14.70mm ceramic & Tech Gold DLC (not including lugs & crown), 9-Part Modular Exo-Chassis, sapphire crystals with anti-reflective coating, 50 meters water resistance, hand finished, exhibition back.

Movement: Wilbur-modified, in-house regulated Sellita automatic with 38-hours of power reserve. 

Dial: Suspended, 3-D with hand-finished details, semi-transparent dial, floating chapter ring, time and date, EXP rotor. 

Straps: Standard straps or silicone quick-change in multiple colors, ballistic nylon and cordura options available, bolt-on buckle.

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The Watches

Zodiac Adds a Ceramic Case to Sea Wolf

Zodiac enhances its hot Super Sea Wolf collection with a new ceramic-cased model, a first for the U.S.-based, Swiss-made sports watchmaker.

The new Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Ceramic.

The new Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Ceramic features a 40mm case built from hardened ceramic, which envelopes the case’s steel core.

With a ceramic exterior, the new Super Sea Wolf appears more polished and deeper black than you’d see with black-coated steel case. Ceramic, a high-tech material now widely found on watches, is scratch-resistant, corrosion-resistant and fade-resistant.

As a result, ceramic watches typically look new for many more years than comparable steel or precious metal watches. For the wearer there are other advantages, including its light weight and hypoallergenic properties.

Zodiac offers the watch with a particularly handsome midnight blue radiant sunburst dial with uni-directional rotating bezel and highly visible white hands and markers set with plenty of SuperlumiNova.

The dial on the new Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Ceramic rightly touts its 200-meters of water resistance and displays the date. Inside the newly developed case you’ll find a chronometer-certified, Swiss-made STP 1-11 automatic movement.

Zodiac attaches a vanilla scented rubber strap to each case. Price: $1,695.

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The Watches

Hublot Lights Up a New Fuente Limited Edition

Hublot continues its long-running affiliation with the Dominican Republic-based Arturo Fuente cigar empire with a new limited-edition watch that celebrates Carlos A. Fuente Sr., the son of the company’s namesake founder.

The new Big Bang Unico Arturo Fuente Ceramic is the first ceramic model in the series, which debuted in 2012. Echoing earlier Fuente models, Hublot has laser-engraved the new watch’s 44-mm black ceramic case with a tobacco leaf pattern. Within the case Hublot fits its excellent UNICO caliber HUB1242 movement, a flyback column-wheel chronograph offering a 72-hour power reserve.

The new Hublot Big Bang Unico Arturo Fuente Ceramic.

Hublot adds a host of details to the watch to underscore its rich partnership with the Fuente family. For example, the watchmaker places Roman numerals on the dial instead of the traditional Arabic numerals found on most other Big Bang Unico models.

This gesture, according to Hublot, adds “a remarkable note of authenticity to the timepiece” because the Roman numerals are also seen on a clock that has historically appeared on the family crest. The numerals reference the Fuente motto: “We will never rush the hands of time.”

The crowned lion that appears at 9 o’clock on the watch’s skeletonized dial references the fact that Fuente supplied cigars to the Spanish court.

Furthermore, Hublot places Fuente’s historic logo appears in the center of the caseback along with “CF” in reference to Carlos Fuente Sr. and the words “Edición de homenaje” (which is Spanish for “edition in homage”). A dedication by Carlito Fuente Jr. reads: “Our Father, Our Friend, Our Hero.”

Finally, the back of the watch is engraved with “Big Bang Limited Edition” along with the number of the piece in the limited edition run of 100 pieces.

Hublot places its new Big Bang Unico Arturo Fuente Ceramic in a lacquered wooden gift box that also serves as a cigar humidor.

Price: $28,300.

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The Watches

Rado Sows a Ceramic Garden

Rado’s high-tech ceramic True Thinline Collection, first seen in 2011, this month debuts the Great Gardens of the World collection with three models featuring dial designs meant to recall natural beauty.

The idea for the collection took root in 2017 when Rado partnered with Grandi Giardini Italiani, an association of 300 Italian and Maltese gardens. At that time Rado debuted a trio of True Thinline quartz watches with beautifully colored and patterned dials meant to represent earth, water and leaves.

Rado True Thinline Great Gardens of the World, Chapter 1.

Rado now extends that idea with three more of the sleek 40mm ceramic and titanium watches, each sporting an artisanal dial and powered by an automatic movement.

One model, called Chapter 1, sports a turquoise-colored ceramic case and bracelet and offers a matching mother-of-pearl dial. Rado decorates the dial with filigree and cloisonné-style organic elements and nature-inspired themes, including jasmine flowers. Diamonds mark each hour, while on the back you’ll find the phrase “Great Gardens of the World,” printed on a smoky sapphire and titanium caseback.

Rado True Thinline Great Gardens of the World, Chapter 2.

The second model, called Chapter 2, offers a similar pattern but on a black ceramic case with a dark, matching mother-of-pearl dial. Again, diamonds mark the hours.

Rado True Thinline Great Gardens of the World, Chapter 3.

The Chapter 3 watch presents a more sophisticated small central dial framed by an engraved oak leaf pattern in its mother-of-pearl and a ring of additional diamonds.

All this natural beauty arrives alongside Rado’s pioneering mastery of the ceramic case and bracelet technology, here all sporting richly colored and polished high-tech finishes. Rado builds each watch with a ceramic case, ceramic bracelet and crown, a titanium caseback (framing a sapphire center) and a titanium tri-fold clasp.

Each watch offers a titanium case back with black smoked sapphire and a printed phrase.

As noted, these Rado True Thinline models sport automatic movements. Inside Rado places the ETA-based Rado caliber R763 automatic movement with an impressive 80-hour power reserve and an anti-magnetic Nivachron hairspring, which Rado says exceeds standard test requirements from three to five positions.

Prices: $2,450 (Chapters 1 and 2), and $2,660 (Chapter 3).

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