In addition to producing its own limited-edition colorways, Zodiac also partners with a variety of other entities to create thematic collaboration pieces that offer fresh and unique expressions of its most famous and recognizable models. For its latest release of 2024, Zodiac has teamed up with the Los Angeles-based vintage watch dealer Craft + Tailored to create a duo of limited-edition models that are easily the most vintage-themed offerings in the Swiss brand’s modern lineup. Inspired by the original reference 691 Sea Wolf from the 1950s, the new Zodiac x Craft + Tailored Super Sea Wolf Ref. 691 watches feature properly compact 36mm cases, and rather than having automatic calibers like Zodiac’s standard-catalog watches, the Craft + Tailored collaboration models are powered by a new manual-wind movement.
While bright and playful colors often characterize Zodiac’s standard-catalog models, the brand’s collaboration pieces allow Zodiac to take an additional step outside its usual design ethos and create thematic watches that would have otherwise never existed without the collaborating party. Past collaborators have ranged from fashion brands like Rowing Blazers to enthusiast groups like RedBar, and aBlogtoWatch’s founder Ariel Adams has previously created two different Zodiac Super Sea Wolf dive watches known as the Aquamarine Dream and the Pineapple Dream, which were released in 2021 and 2023, respectively. Each collaborator brings a different aesthetic to one of Zodiac’s signature designs; however, since Craft + Tailored is all about deep-cut vintage watches with era-correct components, the new Super Sea Wolf Ref. 691 isn’t a thematic rendition of an exiting Zodiac model, but rather a faithful re-imagination of the very first Sea Wolf diver.
Crafted from stainless steel, the case of the new Zodiac x Craft + Tailored Super Sea Wolf Ref. 691 measures 36mm in diameter by 12mm thick, with a lug width of 18mm and an overall lug-to-lug profile of 44mm. Like the original reference 691 Sea Wolf from the 1950s, the new collaboration model features a stainless steel bezel with a 60-minute countdown scale, rather than an elapsed-time bezel like the brand’s modern dive watches. A solid screw-down caseback closes up the reverse side of the watch, while a signed screw-down crown sits at the 3 o’clock location; however, rather than having an acrylic crystal like the vintage ref. 691, the new Zodiac x Craft + Tailored Super Sea Wolf Ref. 691 features a domed sapphire crystal protecting its dial, and it also features an increased depth rating compared to its 1950s predecessor with 200 meters of water resistance.
The new Zodiac x Craft + Tailored Super Sea Wolf Ref. 691 is available with either a black or cream dial, although both versions offer the same fundamental design and layout, which is heavily inspired by the dial found inside the original reference 691 Sea Wolf diver from the 1950s. Both dials feature applied hour markers paired with a set of dauphine-shaped hands, and Super-LumiNova is applied to all of the hands and indexes to provide the new model with a green-glowing display ion the dark. The black-dial Super Sea Wolf Ref. 691 features a fairly traditional appearance with a gloss black surface, white luminous material, and silver-colored hands and hour markers. However, the cream-colored dial is based on the patina-tinted white dials that can be found on the original ref. 691 watches, and it features tan-colored lume with gold-finished hands and markers to further lean into its vintage-themed inspiration.
Powering the new Zodiac x Craft + Tailored Super Sea Wolf Ref. 691 watches is the Swiss-made STP 1-21M manual-wind movement, and this release represents the first time that we have seen this hand-wound caliber appear within the brand’s catalog. While Zodiac lists the power reserve of the new STP 1-21M movement at 40 hours, the brand does not include a mention of its operating frequency; however, there is a fairly good chance that it runs at the same 28,800vph (4 Hz) that characterizes STP’s other mechanical offerings. While a hand-wind movement is hardly more practical than the automatic calibers used inside the Zodiac’s other current-production models (especially when paired with a screw-down crown), the Zodiac x Craft + Tailored Super Sea Wolf Ref. 691 is all about vintage details, and I personally find the manually-wound movement to be a highlight of this new collaboration model.
Fitted to the 18mm lugs of the new Zodiac x Craft + Tailored Super Sea Wolf Ref. 691 is a three-link stainless steel bracelet, although the black and cream-dial models feature bracelets with slightly different link designs. While the cream-dial Super Sea Wolf Ref. 691 receives the brand’s classic three-link stainless steel bracelet, the version fitted with a black dial has a vintage-inspired design that emulates the rivet-style links that characterize many mid-century watch bracelets. Despite their aesthetic differences, both of the three-link stainless steel bracelets connect to the case with integrated quick-release springbars, and they both receive the same style of folding clasp, which features a butterfly-style design with a push-button release and an integrated extension system.
The black-dial version of the Zodiac x Craft + Tailored Super Sea Wolf Ref. 691 (ref. ZO0001) will be produced as a limited edition of 400 examples, although the cream-dial model (ref. ZO0002) will be a limited edition of 100 pieces, and each watch will have a caseback engraving with its individual number out of 100 examples. Additionally, while the black-dial Super Sea Wolf Ref. 691 will be sold by retailers and on Zodiac’s own website, the cream-dial version will be exclusively available from Craft + Tailored. With that in mind, despite their different production numbers, bracelet styles, and retail availability, the two models cost the exact same, and both versions of the Zodiac x Craft + Tailored Super Sea Wolf Ref. 691 have an official retail price of $1,695 USD, which places them directly in line with the rest of the brand’s entry-level dive watches. For more information on the Zodiac x Craft + Tailored Super Sea Wolf Ref. 691, please visit either the Zodiac website or Craft + Tailored website.
