Hands On: The Zodiac x Rowing Blazers Super Sea Wolf

by Charlie Dunne

Back in October I wrote about Rowing Blazers’ second watch collaboration and since combing through Google Analytics, I’ve been pleasantly surprised that the article is one of the most popular pages on the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). Despite the site being dedicated to vintage watches, I had to call in a favor to the folks over at Rowing Blazers for a heads up on their next release. To my delight, they obliged and sent over their latest timepiece, the Zodiac x Rowing Blazers Super Sea Wolf.

Reminiscent of Vincent Vega, I opened the package and was hit with a powerful glow radiating from the dial. The green-soleil finish is very intense and unlike any watch in my collection. Wearing it around, the watch is quite impressionable on people, even from a few feet away it will get attention (but not in a flashy or concerning way). Rowing Blazers’ founder, Jack Carlson, would emphasize this color’s inspiration stating “It’s derived from the color of the first Harry’s Bar sweater! And green is a traditional color associated with Harry’s Bar.”

I’ll be honest, I don’t like too much font on my dials and enjoy minimal lines of text. Just a preference. I don’t need to read that my watch is an automatic, nor do I want to show others the depth rating, chronometer certification, etc. That being said, I really appreciate the details being stripped. The compact “Rowing Blazers” font has become less prominent than the co-branding in previous collaborations, Additionally, the yellow “Harry’s Bar” adds balance to the Zodiac logo at 12 o’clock (which I’m happy to see was painted instead of an applied logo). I’d be curious if there were any discussions surrounding the “Rowing Blazers” font mimicking the traditional Sea Wolf script, but perhaps this would have been a bit too much creative freedom.

The stars of the show are easily the two characters at 6 o’clock. Carlson would expand upon the concept of a collaboration between Rowing Blazers, Zodiac and Harry’s Bar watch come together: “I’ve wanted to do a Harry’s Bar watch for a long time. The two dancing bar flies are the perfect icon for a little graphic hit on a dial. So when Zodiac reached out, it was the first thing I suggested. This is simply the first installment of an ongoing partnership with Zodiac, and the Zodiac team has been so great. I’m excited about this as a lasting partnership.”

Having a penchant for insect-related watches, I always reiterate the vintage Vulcain Cricket is an iconic timepiece. More recently, seconde/seconde/ inspired me to add a bumblebee flying around inside my Memovox. So it seems only natural I’d warm up to the two Flies from Harry’s and take joy in the fact Zodiac joined the party.

While Babar may be the more recognizable characters in the Rowing Blazers universe, the Harry’s Flies are more of the IYKYK logos. There’s no shortage of watch dials with Disney characters, Mario, and other iconic characters. Carlson would share his first memory of Harry’s “mascots”and why he felt compelled to share them with the watch world.

“I was having a drink at Harry’s Bar in 2016 or 2017, and I asked the bar tender if they have any “merch.” They had two size XL v-neck golf sweaters in bottle green embroidered with the bar flies on the left chest. They were about twenty years old. I bought one and wore it about thrice a week for the next six months (I still wear it often!). People would always ask me about it — and so I thought maybe we could work with Harry’s and bring them back. I got to know Franz-Arthur, the owner of Harry’s Bar (and the great-grandson of Harry), and the rest is history!”

Being less enthusiastic for date windows, I’ll concede that this one is executed quite well. The angled edge of the aperture is just narrow enough that the depth is not discernible. The black date window also gives off the impression of it being very shallow while naturally blending in to the bezel. However, it’s the painted white line around the aperture that brings it all together. I skimmed through Zodiac’s website on both the sports and dive watch sections, and didn’t notice this detail in any of their other models.

Undoubtedly overshadowed by the dial is the case. It features horizontally and vertically brushed surfaces as a Sea Wolf should. Far too often the mirror polished surfaces are present on modern watches and this raw aesthetic is much more favorable highlighting the sharp lines on the lugs. Instead, the mirror finish is present in the central links of the bracelet giving it a touch of style without straying too far off the path of sportiness. Per the bezel, it is unidirectional with a high-polish and scratch resistant ceramic insert with luminous-white numerals.

The case measures 40mm in diameter (49mm lug-to-lug) and the contemporary proportions are ideal to most who may find the 35mm vintage alternatives a bit too small. The lug width is 20mm, allowing for plenty of strap options for those that have an obsession with switching things up. More suitable is the complementary French military-style #Tide strap produced from 100% recycled ocean plastic. Again, the attention to color is very nice giving an emphasis on the flies’ hats and gloves.

The bracelet is branded on the “butterfly deployant” which features a slight stretch in case your wrist fluctuates in warmer environments (but it sounds cooler to explain this attribute to non-watch friends that it is for your diving excursions). Additionally, it incorporates quick-release system for an added measure of convenience. While I like the look and concept behind the #Tide strap, I personally favor wearing the watch on bracelet and I was pleasantly surprised by its quality. As for Jack’s preference he mentions “'I’ll probably be wearing it more on the bracelet. But in general I dress in a fairly colorful and comfortable way, so it’s nice to have a little bling to elevate the look.”

The case back is adorned with a Rowing Blazers logo and with the signature Zig-Zag motif inspired by the Royal Artillery. Underneath this, is the automatic calibre STP 1-11. If you’re hoping to get a bit adventurous, Zodiac is waterproof with a water resistance rating of 660 feet.

While this design certainly appears to be a release from the present, Zodiac is by no means taking on a new look with the loud colors. Just glancing through the back catalog, it’s quite apparent the brand has been confident with colorful dials and bezels, particularly within the Sea Wolf family. When asked how he would describe Zodiac watches to someone who was not familiar with the brand, Eric Wind stated “Zodiac has historically been the fun tool watch manufacturer - innovative, but small and not nearly as well known as some of the large tool watch manufacturers. I love vintage Zodiac watches because they have colors like no other vintage watches. The "exotic" sea wolf with the orange track and hands is one of my favorite vintage dive watches ever and to see how they have aged differently over the years is always fun, with some having their glossy black dials change to bright caramel and others having the distinctive tangerine color fade to more of a yellow.“

Expanding on the subject of how vintage watches appear 60 years after production, I asked Wind how he thinks people will react to the latest watch decades from now. “I hope people will love it! We can only make things that we think are cool, special, and unique - the rest is up to others to decide. I hope people will appreciate the time and effort that went into designing this Sea Wolf.”

Adding context to the watch, I decided to look back at Rowing Blazers’ initial Harry’s Bar clothing collaboration (which was really an excuse to pick up a few additions for my wardrobe). I would find friend of the program Elias Marte (@staycrispymyfriends) - who contributed to an article earlier this month - featured in the campaign. He was wearing a vintage tank-style timepiece and what could only be described as “the coziest rugby” with the Harry’s Flies. Tempted to steal a bit of style from Marte, I quickly realized there was no way I could squeeze into one of the last rugbies in stock - an XS. Thankfully, I was recommended to connect with style icon and Rowing Blazer’s menswear specialist Floyd D at the RB Flagship on Rivington Street. Floyd would point out the much more suitable pima cotton polo in large which I could wear without sweating profusely in the Florida heat. Not only is the polo incredibly comfortable, it made for an awesome backdrop for a few flicks.

Outside of the Harry’s Bar specific threads, there’s a great deal of options I thought would be equally cool to accompany the Zodiac. My personal favorite is the Babar Phonebooth crewneck (modeled by yours truly below outside of the RB Flagship). In the event you didn’t miss the train on the cashmere Babar sweater, it is definitely another great option. Babar’s green suit in both options are quite compatible with the dial, with a touch of yellow for the painted Zodiac logo.

Looking for additional backdrops to capture the watch, I grabbed a long sleeve in yellow, the classic Rowing Blazers x NBA Logo sweater, a red corduroy drone cap, as well as a vintage Springboks rugby (which I’m confident my father will be envious of upon reading this).

Having just went on an eight-day excursion throughout the South Pole, I asked Carlson where he was most excited about wearing the latest Zodiac watch in the forthcoming year. “Ha yes! Perhaps I’ll wear this one to the North Pole! I’m also working on a Kilimanjaro trip!” I would replied that we expect a wristshot on IG during the next adventure.

So does this modern Zodiac x Rowing Blazers Super Sea Wolf pass the [biased] Strictly Vintage Watches test? The answer is yes. The wearability is quite nice. It is not offensively large like most modern sports watches tend to be. The dimensions are appropriate and the overall DNA of the brands’ past models is evident in the watch. The limited edition is a true LE with only 282 examples produced, so you likely won’t be crossing paths with another at most watch meetups if you happen to appreciate a sense of exclusivity. Additionally, the dial is an attractive and unique green (and potentially a color most collectors don’t have in their rotation). A very big factor in my approval is that the watch offers great value retailing at an attractive $1,595. This is a few hundred dollars between the highest and lowest priced Super Sea Wolf models currently available on the Zodiac website, as well as lower than the most recent limited editions. New Sea Wolfs are actually quite intelligently priced, as they are are either the same price or lower than what one can expect to pay for a vintage model - making a compelling argument to opt for a modern watch. In my personal view, the dial alone is the most impressive amongst the current catalog and easily could have warranted an MSRP amongst the higher offerings. Most importantly, it is a fun and reliable watch marking the first (and hopefully not the last) collaboration from two iconic brands, and one legendary bar.

The Zodiac x Rowing Blazers Super Sea Wolf launches in January 2023, and will be available for $1,595 USD at rowingblazers.com, zodiacwatches.com, and at select retailers — including the Rowing Blazers flagship in New York City.

Special thanks to the Rowing Blazers team - Jack Carlson, Scott Geftman, David Rosenzweig, Amon Rosenzweig, Drew Nearing, Floyd, and Tom Cissel. Special thanks to Eric Wind of Wind Vintage, Florida-based model Marlo, Owen Lawton of OxWatch, Max Braun (@mrbwatches) and photographer Jared Kocka.