Last Updated on Saturday, 24 July 2010 22:17 Written by GoldSmithWatchWorks Saturday, 24 July 2010 22:15

HTML clipboardAriste Calame set up a Swiss workshop in 1882 with a personal goal to specialize in useful and unique pocket watch movements for the ever expending pocket watch industry.

By 1900, Ariste Calame had become well known and respected for providing movements with some of the highest levels of accuracy in the industry.

By 1908, Ariste Calame began to patent his personal Zodiac brand of calibers and movements.

By 1924, the world famous Zodiac caliber 1617 movement was utilized to produce the equally famous Zodiac linepocket watches. These extra flat pocket watches were the thinnest pocket watches in the world.

In 1930, the Zodiac watch company again hit the number with the an innovative patent for the shock proofing of balance assemblies, which were --and continue to be -- the weakest link in the movements watch train.

Zodiac's method that gained the patent was the use of a "z" shaped spring clip that fit over the balance providing a shock-absorber to the balance staff; which reduced breakage to the point that other manufacturers took notice (note: the incabloc is the grandson of the z clip!).

Zodiac's patented method of shock protection was soon the rave and assisted in the introduction of the first Swiss automatic watches also launched in 1930.

Between 1932 & 1935, Zodiac launched the 10.5 Ligne and 8 day wristwatch movement.

In 1949, at the Basel Watch Fair, Zodiac launched the Astrograhic watch: a self winding watch with the ability to reserve gauge measuring hours of power.

In 1953, Zodiac launched the worlds first serious consumer and military dive watch labeled the SEA WOLF. The SEA WOLF would become one of the longest production watches in the history of wrist watches. A 20 year production with 35 different models -- including the Super Sea Wolf with a water pressure resist at 750 meters-- would make the SEA WOLF the most recognized diving watch in the world.

In the 1960's, Zodiac added the 24 hour GMT hand to the Sea World watch; the Aerospace; and the Aerospace Jet that had a 24 hour movement that allowed one revolution for every 24 hours!

Zodiac also produced the first Swiss electronic watch called the Dynotron and the first Swiss analog quartz watch called the Beta 21 Calibre.

Also in the 1960's through the early 1980's, Zodiac continued to astound both the public and the industry by introducing limited production custom designed watch models that revealed extraordinary features and looks for their cases, dials, lugs and combined these innovative features with most accurate Zodiac designed and produced movements.