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There are a lot of places where a person can buy a watch today.
Of course, there is the traditional brick-and-mortar route with boutiques and authorized dealers. There’s the direct-to-consumer method, with many brands selling their watches online via their own websites. And then there’s the robust secondary market, with enthusiasts selling and trading watches on forums like WatchUSeek Reddit’s r/Watchexchange.
But if there is one place where practically every watch enthusiast has purchased a watch before, it’s eBay.
The mammoth online auction site has well over a million watches from around the globe at any given moment, many of which offer peace of mind through eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee.
Since eBay has sold a ton of watches, it was only a matter of time before the company would make a watch of its own. And now the brand has done just that, thanks to some help from Zodiac.
The idea of an “eBay watch” admittedly doesn’t sound very appealing. It sounds, well, kind of gross, like the worst kind of capitalist-run-amok idea approved by out-of-touch C-Suite executives looking to make a quick buck.
But you know what? This watch kind of rocks.
Zodiac didn’t throw out the baby with the bathwater in this collab. This is the same basic Super Sea Wolf Compression Diver we know and love that has already proven itself to be a versatile template for brand collabs.
eBay’s trademark bright colors look right at home on the dial and bezel of the Sea Wolf.Photo by Johnny Brayson for Gear Patrol
For the Zodiac x eBay Super Sea Wolf Compression Diver, the brands kept the eBay branding subtle and attractive. The word “eBay” does not appear anywhere on the dial, thankfully. Instead, the site’s trademark orange, blue, yellow and green colors show up equally dispersed across the indices and on the first 15 minutes of the bezel.
The pseudo-rainbow colors look great against the black bezel and especially against the dial. The dial is more dynamic than it appears at first glance, as instead of being a flat black it’s more of a dark charcoal with a subtle sunray effect. It’s quite stunning, especially when paired with the colorful indices.
The charcoal dial pops in direct light thanks to its subtle sunray treatment.Photo by Johnny Brayson for Gear Patrol
The bezel, you may notice, is also a little unique. For one, it’s made of ceramic, meaning it’s more resistant to scratches than the mineral crystal bezel insert you’ll find on standard Sea Wolf Divers. You’ll also note that this is not a traditional dive bezel. Dive bezels count up from 0 – 60. This is a countdown bezel that goes in the reverse direction.
A feature more frequently seen on pilot’s watches, Zodiac opted for one here as a nod to the countdown timer on eBay’s auctions, meaning you could actually use the bezel to track how close you are to winning your next bid. The bezel is also fully lumed and glows just as well as the dial and hands, meaning you can even track your bid in the dark.
The lume is excellent, with the Super-LumiNova on the bezel lasting just as long as on the dial.Photo by Johnny Brayson for Gear Patrol
The only part of the collab I found to be in somewhat poor taste was the caseback. It features a large eBay logo in the form of a black medallion smack-dab in the middle of the caseback. It looks like a sticker and makes for some pretty loud branding. I would’ve much preferred a smaller mention of eBay engraved elsewhere on the caseback, but hey, at least this eyesore is hidden on the back of the watch.
The watch wears excellently, as is typical of the Sea Wolf. It has the same 40mm case as always, which wears a little smaller than you’d think due to that measurement being taken at the wider bezel (the case itself measures 39mm across by my caliper). The watch also includes Zodiac’s excellent Jubilee bracelet, arguably the most comfortable at its price point thanks in part to its telescoping butterfly clasp.
Frankly, I could do without the sticker-like eBay medallion on the caseback.Photo by Johnny Brayson for Gear Patrol
Pricing and Availability
Naturally, the Zodiac x eBay Super Sea Wolf Compression Diver will only be available for purchase on eBay. Just 300 of the watches will be produced, all individually numbered. The collab is priced at $1,695, which surprisingly is the same amount Zodiac charges for a regular Super Sea Wolf Compression Diver.
As far as corporate collabs go, this is about as good as it gets. The splashes of eBay-approved colors and the countdown bezel make for one seriously fun and good-looking dive watch. The Zodiac x eBay Super Sea Wolf Compression Diver goes on sale at the link below on October 18 — no bidding necessary.
eBay x Zodiac
