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There are few complications in watchmaking as romantic and visually captivating as the triple calendar moonphase. In the post-war era, this highly complex and beautiful function was a hallmark of the great Swiss houses, a display of true horological prowess. While many collectors immediately think of brands like Patek Philippe or Jaeger-LeCoultre, Zodiac was producing some of the most handsome and technically proficient examples of the genre, and this piece is, without question, a stunning survivor from that golden age. It represents a category of watchmaking that is wildly desirable today: a mechanically complex, aesthetically beautiful timepiece from a heritage brand that offers an incredible value proposition.
The 1950s was a boom time for Swiss watchmaking, with brands competing to offer ever more complicated and stylish watches to a confident, modern consumer. The triple calendar moonphase was, in many ways, the pinnacle of the practical complication wristwatch. It provided the time, day, date, month, and the phases of the moon—a miniature mechanical computer on the wrist. Zodiac, a brand founded in Le Locle, Switzerland in 1882, had a reputation for quality and innovation. The movement inside this piece, the Zodiac Caliber 12S, is a fantastic example of the era’s engineering. Based on a robust and reliable manual-wind ebauche, this 17-jewel caliber was expertly modified and finished by Zodiac to incorporate the full calendar and moonphase works. It’s a beautiful piece of micro-engineering that is a joy to behold.
This particular example is a masterclass in mid-century design. The gold-plated case provides a warm, luxurious frame for the beautifully complex dial. The layout is perfectly balanced and highly legible, with apertures for the day and month sitting below the 12 o’clock position, and the enchanting moonphase display nestled above 6 o’clock. The date is indicated by a central pointer hand with a red arrow tip, which corresponds to a striking blue-printed track on the dial’s periphery. The mix of applied gold-tone Arabic and teardrop hour markers, paired with elegant dauphine hands, completes a look that is sophisticated, classic, and endlessly charming. It’s a design that simply sings on the wrist.
