S.58 Zenith 150m Diver

Zenith may be known as the don of the high-beat chronograph, and they are, but things didn’t start that way. This is the S.58, a 150 meter dive watch, and it’s what Zenith were pouring their hopes and ambition into before the El Primero had ever lied about being first (I jest). This was a rival to the Fifty Fathoms or Big Crown, except it’s a manual. Later examples added a rotor, but this is an extremely uncommon early manual with a bezel. S.58s have had quite a mysterious story of emergence and there are many variants to catalogue. It’s a seriously overlooked Zenith that has been cast into the shadow of the A386. The 58 is for 1958, but interestingly there is no definite answer to what the S in the name stands for. Superb? Maybe submersible? Or sick? Yeah, it’s definitely sick.

Now, there’s a lot to cover on this bakelite beauty. First, there’s a rumor from way back in the forum days that this was named after a helicopter, the Sikorski S-58. It wasn’t. Some believe 2500 early examples were issued to the the Italian Navy, quoted in Rossler’s book, but that seems unlikely. It is more likely that this watch was the result of simple convergent forces, Zenith saw the success of dive watches and knew that had to get in the game. Now, there are quite a few variants. Launched in 1958 without a bezel, this was a manual watch first and then automatic. Early watches generally have steel bezels, where rotors and bakelite bezels came around 1962. However, this particular example is an oddity, one of the earliest S.58s to have a bakelite bezel but still with the manual calibre 120. And while most were on straps, this one has found its way onto a Gay Frères ladder bracelet, which looks every bit the part.

Because these dials predate tritium, they tend to not age as gracefully as 60s Zenith. Plus, these bezels aren’t exactly robust. If you ever go around asking, you’ll find most every retailer would have an easier time sourcing a fantastic condition Paul Newman than S.58. The big three auction houses haven’t ever sold one. It’s one of the great Zeniths to have never been revisited, and that’s a small category. This one of the better dials, cases, and bezels you’ll find. It’s in the rare but nobody cares category, which is no bad thing. It’s a reference that sold well in period but was never the most aspirational option. Today, it’s still that plucky underdog. Zodiac Sea Wolf, eat your heart out.

This example really is better than most. The dial appears fantastic, all original radium reportedly but gorgeously aged and, somehow, it hasn’t burned out the surrounding area. Its bezel has a few bruises and the 12 is split, but it’s neigh-on impossible to find one without that. These were tools to be used. The bracelet is unlikely to be original, but looks great. A very lovely example. It comes from a well-regarded Parisian retailer.