One of the Hottest Trends in Watches Has Finally Popped Up on a Dive Watch

It was only a matter of time (wink, wink).

Published October 30, 2024

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Just like anything else in the fashion industry, watches are susceptible to trends. (Let’s not kid ourselves; watches are a fashion accessory whether we like to admit it or not.)

One of the hottest trends this year has been the use of stone dials. We saw an uptick in these exotic dials last year among luxury brands, with Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Girard-Perregaux all getting in on the action. This year, the trend has trickled down to more affordable offerings from smaller brands like Baltic and Nivada.

I don’t recall ever seeing a brand use natural stone dials in a dive watch before, but that’s what Zodiac has done with a pair of new Super Sea Wolf Compression Divers.

a closeup of a zodiac dive watch on a blue stone surface — You can now get a Zodiac Sea Wolf with a real lapis lazuli stone dial.

Stone-Cold Foxes Wolves

Zodiac has added stone dials to its tried-and-true Super Sea Wolf Compression Diver in two new variants. One is in plain stainless steel and features a blue lapis lazuli dial, while the other features a green malachite dial paired with a black DLC-coated steel case and bracelet.

So why stone dials? Well, there are a few factors that have made the exotic material so en vogue. First and foremost, they’re quite beautiful, offering brilliant colors and unique patterns. Secondly, stone is a natural material, and certain consumers will always be drawn to natural objects (think gold, leather, etc.). Finally, because the dials are made from slabs of natural stone, no two are alike, meaning every stone-dial watch is inherently unique.

a modern zodiac watch next to a vintage one — Stone dials: They’re not just for dress watches anymore.

Zodiac also leans into a bit of the woo-woo lore behind the rocks by noting that lapis represents “strength, peace, and clarity,” while malachite functions as a symbol of “balance, protection, and transformation.” That is all nonsense to me, but a lot of things about mechanical watches are nonsensical, so this justification really doesn’t feel too out of place.

Both watches feature ceramic bezels — black for the malachite and blue for the lapis — and are powered by the STP 1-21 calibre automatic movement. Made by sister company STP, the 1-21 is essentially a manufacture movement for Zodiac with a 40-hour power reserve and improved accuracy over the older STP 1-11 calibre.

two zodiac dive watches — Strength, peace, and clarity vs. balance, protection, and transformation.

Pricing and Availability

Zodiac has shown time and time again that its Super Sea Wolf is an excellent platform for experimentation, and the new stone dial variants look like another winner to me.

While both styles are beautiful, I think each offers a considerably different appeal. The lapis version is the more subdued of the two. From a distance, it just looks like a standard blue dive watch. It’s not until you get closer that you notice the detail in the dial.

a zodiac watch on a mans wrist — The malachite dial is paired with a blacked-out DLC case and bracelet and black ceramic bezel.

The malachite version, by contrast, is a stunner even from across a room. The malachite’s bright green color and horizontal striations create a compelling and beautiful dial, and pairing it with an all-black case and bracelet increases the contrast, allowing it to stand out even more.

As far as pricing goes, you’ll pay a premium of a few hundred dollars for these references over a standard Super Sea Wolf Compression Diver on account of the semi-precious stone dials. The lapis lazuli version is priced at $2,095, while the malachite version, which costs a bit more because of the DLC treatment, goes for $2,295.