You've probably heard us mention Zodiac over the years, but chance are it was during one of our rants about Heuer and the wide array of watches that the brand manufactured for other companies during the late 1960s and early 1970s.  And while there is no question that you'll hear those stories again this year, we are excited to be able to have a conversation about Zodiac all on its own.

In the mid-1950s, Zodiac, then a renowned and well-respected Swiss manufacture, introduced the Sea Wolf.  While not really debuted until the early 1960s, the Sea Wolf is now considered to be among the first purpose-built dive watches to be manufactured, right alongside the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and the Rolex Submariner.  And like those other pieces, the Sea Wolf ushered in a unique design aesthetic - triangle hands and large triangular luminous plots at 3:00, 6:00, 9:00 and 12:00 - that would become a hallmark of the brand in years to come.  

One of the footnotes of the Sea Wolf design that is often overlooked is its slim and elegantly proportioned case.  Unlike other early divers, the Sea Wolf is decidedly small and lends itself excellently to unobtrusive wear under water and on dry land alike.  Weighing in at almost 35mm wide and 11mm thick, the Sea Wolf was easily one of the smallest functional divers of the era.  

The success of the Sea Wolf ushered in a new era for Zodiac and allowed the brand to expand it's design language to include other tool watches for different environs.  The Aerospace GMT was one such piece.  Building on a very similar case design, Zodiac constructed a pilot's watch with similar functionality as other, more commonly seen GMTs from other brands; The Aerospace GMT featured a 24-hour GMT function, window at 3:00 and a bi-directional, two-tone or 'Pepsi' rotating click bezel.  

Like with the Sea Wolf, Zodiac's approach to Aerospace GMT was function-forward.  The glossy black dial with fat silver markers and luminous plots makes the luminous stick hands stand out, and the simple red stick 24-hour hand with luminous tip is highly readable.  Even the inclusion of a click bezel and white date well suggest careful considerate design for ease of use on the wrist.  

This particular piece is in excellent condition throughout, and with the coveted Pepsi bezel is sure to be a gem for any enterprising collector.