While it’s a fact most apparent to enthusiasts in the know, Zodiac has been making mechanical watches offering incredible value for the money for a few years now. That’s especially true if you love vintage; the brand’s specialty has been recreating its most iconic models from the 20th century with stunning accuracy. While the brand’s been focusing mostly on its tough divers and legible pilot’s watches, Zodiac is finally turning its attention to the Olympos, a distinctive dress watch design from the Mad Men era.
The new Olympos doesn’t stray far from the original formula. At 37.7mm in diameter and just 11mm thick, it’s decidedly small for a contemporary automatic watch, but close to the dimensions of the original timepiece. The watch comes in a variety of mid-century-style dials but the clear stand-out in the bunch is the “Mystery Dial” limited edition; it features an hour hand that appears as though it floats around the dial, detached from the center of the watch. It pairs particularly well with the distinct, manta-ray-shaped case design. Together they give the Olympos a dose of personality few other dress watches can compete with.
The watch comes packing a Swiss-made STP 3-13 automatic movement and is water-resistant to 50 meters. Given the automatic movement inside and the incredible level of detail outside the watch, it’s a wonder that you can pick it up for under a grand.