Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review (ZO9212)

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review (ZO9212)

Nick Lehner

In my recent review of the Zodiac Aquamarine Dream watch, I concluded that I really enjoyed that version of the Super Sea Wolf due to its fun use of color. I stated that Zodiac Watch has become an increasingly desirable brand, largely due to its combination of attractive elements from its rich past as well as modern enhancements.

The Super Sea Wolf name covers a variety of vintage-inspired dive watches with a variety of different looks. Because I enjoyed wearing the Aquamarine Dream so much, I decided to give a more subtle variant a try.

The Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin looks even closer to a vintage watch than my first Zodiac. It lacks the exciting bright colors of other versions, but I expected it to be more versatile. I was excited to find out if I would enjoy wearing it just as much.

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

First Impressions

The Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin might not have a brightly colored dial, but it does still have a unique character. Large, triangular markers at the quarter hours resemble teeth and recall vintage Zodiac divers.

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

A unique seconds hands with a bright orange, hollow triangle, and pointed hands give everything a coherent look. This model also eschews a date window, which was the right call given the way that the hour markers are laid out.

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

The bezel insert is also attractive, with a matte black finish that matches the slightly textured dial. The orange-painted triangle provides an additional pop of color. Like with the Aquamarine Dream, this version has only the 30-minute numerals on the bezel. A throwback to past Zodiacs, this gives the bezel a cleaner look, while providing a visual reference point.

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

Wearing the Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin

The 53 Skin's case dimensions are decidedly vintage (and slightly smaller than the standard SSW). The result is that it wears quite well. At 39mm in diameter and 12.5mm thick, it's fairly compact for a 200m dive watch. Zodiac watches tend to have longer lugs, but its 47.5mm height will still fit most wrists just fine.

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

Using the bezel on the 53 Skin is a joy. The clicks are distinct and have a high-quality, damped feel. Additionally, the bezel is easy to grip, as it overhangs the case slightly.

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

The Details

 As mentioned, the Skin's dial features an attractive texture, almost like full-grain leather, providing a nice contrast against the polished hour markers and brand logo. It is more interesting than a plain matte dial but keeps the tool look that would have been lost with a sunburst dial.

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

The caseback has minimal branding - a nice aesthetic appropriate for a vintage-styled tool watch.

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

All Zodiac watches use SuperLumiNova, but in the case of this model, it glows orange. Orange lume looks very cool, but in my experience, it never glows very brightly and doesn't last as long as green lume. The 53 Skin is no exception. The lume is functional, but not as bright as I'd prefer. On the plus side, a hidden feature that I was delighted to find is that the bezel markings are also fully lumed!

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

Strap

The 53 Skin included a very appropriate vintage-style black rubber strap with large vent holes in it. The machined buckle uses a wide tang. It features a strong vanilla scent and does not use quick-release spring bars.

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

The silver steel bezel version of the SSW 53 Skin comes with a stainless steel bracelet. Like the Aquamarine Dream, it uses quick-release spring bars but does not have the expanding clasp.

One of my favorite StrapHabit straps to wear on it has been the Tropical Style Straps as I feel they match the Skin Diver style. Keep reading at the end of the article to see a number of different looks for the 53 Skin.

 Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

Here is a list of some of the straps that would fit and we think look great with this watch. You can also view our Guide to Choosing a Watch Strap.
-Deployant Rubber
-Ribbed Rubber Pass-Through
-
Ridge Rubber
-Premium Sailcloth and Sailcloth Colorway Collection
-Smooth Rubber
-Rubber and Sailcloth Hybrid Straps
-Pro Diver
-
Vented Rubber
-
Slim Ridge Rubber
-Waffle Rubber
-Beads of Rice Bracelets
-Epsom Leather
-Elastic
-Seatbelt

 

The Movement

The Super Sea Wolf Skin 53 is powered by the STP1-11 movement. This is one of Zodiac's parent company Fossil's in-house calibers.

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

Compared to the STP 3-13 in the Aquamarine Dream, the 1-11 in the SSW 53 Skin does not have a swan neck regulator and is not chronometer-rated. It does still feature the upgraded power reserve of 44 hours over the ETA2824 on which it's based. As in the Aquamarine dream, the 53 Skin's movement has the date mechanism removed (with no phantom date position).

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

Conclusion

The Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin is an attractive option for someone who enjoys the classic skin diver aesthetic. Its dial is funky enough to make it fun to wear, but this model is more subdued and versatile than some of the brand's other models.

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

The Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin is also priced at about $200 to $400 less than other Super Sea Wolf models. While it doesn't use the higher-end 3-13 movement, it still offers good finishing and specs for the money.

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

Zodiac's current lineup sits in a good spot as a value proposition. I expect that parent company Fossil might help to provide it with economies of scale, but the result is that buyers get nice watches for the money. The 53 Skin is a great value proposition.

Specifications: 

Name: Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Automatic Black Rubber Watch
Reference Number: ZO9212
MSRP: $1,295
Diameter: 39mm
Height: 47.5mm
Thickness: 12.5mm
Lug Width: 20mm
Weight: 
Movement: STP 1-11
Power Reserve: 44 hours
Water Resistance: 200m
Crystal: Sapphire - domed
Crown:  Screw-down
Bezel: Unidirectional, 120 clicks
Strap: Black rubber (vanilla scented)

Shop Other Straps for the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin: 

Tropical FKM Rubber:

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

 

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

 

Ridge FKM Rubber:

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

 

Premium Sailcloth Colorway Collection
Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review
Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review
Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review

 

Distressed Canvas

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review
Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review
Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Watch Review
Back to blog

1 comment

I just bought the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin ZO9212. Now I have to find a great looking StrapHabit rubber strap to put it on. Maybe the orange camo rubber :)

Gary Giffin

Leave a comment