Timeless is very proud to announce our latest limited edition, and our first with our brand partner Zodiac, the Blackout LE. We wanted to somehow combine the carefree and casual design that Zodiac is so beloved for with a slightly serious tool watch edge, so we began with the Super Sea Wolf GMT, a design that would inherently lend itself to something of a split personality by way of its gorgeous bezel.
The Blackout, which takes its aesthetic cues from the world of night diving, makes numerous changes to the Super Sea Wolf GMT formula. The diving aspect, of course, is taken care of by the Super Sea Wolf case, rated for 200 meters of watch resistance, suitable for pretty much any aquatic hobby, nocturnal or otherwise.
Likewise, the night’s influence is equally easily found, not only on the black dial, but also on the black DLC case and bracelet, a relatively hard to find feature in this price range that will keep this watch looking good for a long time.
But it’s the blue used throughout that brings the design together. The color, a variant of powder blue, is reminiscent of the amazing bioluminescent waves sometimes found on the California coast. This beautiful natural phenomena, the result of a bloom in dinoflagellates, can cause waves (and on occasion even other sea life) to glow an incredible blueish-green hue. In keeping with our theme, this wonder can only be appreciated at night.
Crucially, the color retains some of that laid-back Zodiac character that we love so much. A darker or more saturated blue would have contributed to a more aggressive, serious look, but we wanted something with a more relaxed attitude. In that way, the light blue color is doing two jobs, both literally contrasting with the black dial, but also figuratively contrasting with the otherwise all-business look.
Flowery design language aside, legibility is always a high priority in a Timeless design, whether we’re making a dress watch or a diver, and the Blackout is no exception. Blue luminescent paint is present outside of each applied hour marker, and, of course, each hand. As usual, we’ve color-matched the date ring, as is only proper, so that it remains legible yet visually discreet.
Aesthetically speaking, it’s the bezel that first captures your attention. This bidirectional rotating GMT bezel is aimed more at world travelers or international businesspeople than professional divers, but regardless of its nature, the GMT design allows for a much more visually interesting split of colors.
And that brings us to the GMT complication, which allows the wearer to track two different time zones simultaneously. This is most useful for frequent travelers, of course, but even these days Zoom meetings with friends and business partners on other parts of the globe make useful this increasingly popular complication. I’ll admit, however, that one of the reasons I like it so much here is because it gave us the ability to use a matching blue GMT hand, which we’ve been fond of using as an accent since our Grand Seiko SBGE249 release.
The steel case continues our theme of everyday practicality, with a restrained (at least by diver standards) 40-millimeter size. When it came to the color of the case, we knew immediately that we wanted it to be black, but that it had to be DLC as opposed to the cheaper, less durable options that are generally used at this price point.
To make the watch more versatile, each Blackout comes with both a bracelet and the popular Tropic strap. The bracelet is also DLC coated, so that black finish should hold up nicely to this often-scratched area, particularly the polished center links. We also include a strap changing tool so you can switch between them easily.
Powering each Blackout is the ETA 2893-2, the GMT version of the very respected ETA 2892. This reliable automatic movement has been the staple of many great watches over the years, widely perceived as the high-end alternative to the omnipresent 2824 and derivations thereof.
So that’s our new Zodiac Super Sea Wolf GMT Blackout ZO9407, with every unique element that makes it a limited edition designed and rendered in-house right here at Timeless. The new Blackout is a limited edition, and in this case, very limited, with just 82 pieces being produced. Priced at $1,895, it’s $200 more than the recent Super Sea Wolf “Sherbet” GMT, but for that you’re not only getting a small-run limited edition, but also an extra strap and a DLC coating. If you find yourself enamored with it, please click here to visit our pre-order page where you can get one for yourself. We expect to start delivering watches beginning November 15th, 2020.
