Among all of the various Zodiac watches that make up the brand’s modern catalog, the Super Sea Wolf collection is easily the star of the show. Originally launched in 1953 as one of the world’s very first dive watches, the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf has enjoyed a strong cult following for more than half a century, and it now exists in a wide variety of different colorways and configurations. To celebrate the company’s 140th anniversary, Zodiac has taken the fan-favorite design of its classic Super Sea Wolf dive watch and given it a thoroughly modern case that incorporates highly scratch-resistant black ceramic. This juxtaposition of a vintage-inspired case silhouette paired with modern materials and a thoroughly contemporary color palette ultimately comes together to create one of the more dynamic variations of the Super Sea Wolf, despite the fact that it doesn’t feature any bright and vibrant colors like many of the other models from the brand’s highly popular lineup.

The overall case profile of the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Ceramic will be instantly familiar to those who have experience with the standard models from the series, and it measures 40mm in diameter with 20mm lugs and an overall lug-to-lug measurement of approximately 47.5mm. While the cases of the stainless steel Super Sea Wolf models largely feature brushed finishing, the new model’s black ceramic case offers entirely glossy polished surfaces for a slightly more elevated overall aesthetic. Additionally, rather than being constructed from just ceramic, the case of the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Ceramic ZO9595 features a stainless steel inner core that is covered with a ceramic shell to provide maximum scratch resistance while also helping to prevent the case from cracking or shattering should it receive an exceptionally hard impact. Just like other models from the series, the top of the case is fitted with a domed sapphire crystal surrounded by a unidirectional rotating timing bezel; however, on this particular model, the bezel features a black ceramic insert with an engraved 60-minute scale to compliment the case of the watch and its dark monochromatic exterior. Completing the case is a solid screw-down stainless steel caseback with a black DLC coating that works in conjunction with the signed screw-down winding crown located at the 3 o’clock position to help provide the watch with 200 meters of water resistance.

Similar to the case, the dial of the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Ceramic ZO9595 offers the same overall layout that you will find throughout the rest of the collection, with luminous rectangular hour markers, a contrasting minute track, and a date window located at 3 o’clock. On the Super Sea Wolf Ceramic, the dial surface appears in a deep blue color with a subtle sunray finish, while its minute track is finished dark gray with black markings to offer contrast without detracting from its dark overall color profile. The applied hour markers feature black outlines and are filled with white luminous material, while the time is displayed by a trio of centrally-mounted hands that are the same shape as those that can be found across the rest of the series with rectangular baton-style hour and minute hands paired with a thin seconds hand that includes a large rectangular luminous tip. Just like other Super Sea Wolf models, the hour and minute hands receive different finishes to help set them apart, and the luminous section of the hour hand features a horizontal support structure running through it to help provide additional stability for the luminous material and to help create further visual distinction in the dark.

Powering the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Ceramic ZO9595 is the STP 1-11 automatic movement. STP is entirely owned by Zodiac’s parent company Fossil Group, and the STP 1-11 is based on the familiar and proven design of calibers such as the Sellita SW200-1 and ETA 2824-2. With that in mind, the  STP 1-11 does offer slightly better performance specs, and it features a longer and thinner mainspring, which allows it to still run at a frequency of 28,800vph (4 hz), while offering users an increased power reserve of approximately 44 hours. Additionally, unlike the vast majority of the other models in the Super Sea Wolf lineup, the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Ceramic ZO9595 features a chronometer-certified movement, which further sets it apart from the standard-production models that feature this similar vintage-inspired case design. Lastly, while you don’t get a full-ceramic bracelet, you do get a well-made, black tropic-style Italian rubber strap that is vanilla-scented and includes a stainless steel pin buckle with a matching black DLC finish.

A big part of the reason why Zodiac’s Super Sea Wolf series is so popular among collectors is that it offers solid quality at a fairly affordable price, and the new Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Ceramic ZO9595 stays true to this same attainable pricing structure. In many instances, novel case materials such as ceramic are often accompanied by significant price premiums, but with an official retail price of $1,695 USD, the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Ceramic ZO9595 is just $500 more than similar Sea Wolf models that are fitted with rubber straps. For this additional expense, you get both a highly scratch-resistant ceramic case and a chronometer-certified movement, which seems fairly reasonable considering that the watch still comes in well below the $2k price point. Additionally, just like many of the brand’s other most popular models, the Super Sea Wolf Ceramic ZO9595 will be produced as a small-batch limited edition, with total production limited to just 500 hand-assembled examples. Despite the fact that it is being produced as a limited edition, this new model represents an entirely new case material option within the already popular Super Sea Wolf lineup, and we may eventually see other models that also feature ceramic incorporated into their cases. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.