Zodiac x Rowing Blazers World Time GMT Review

December 08, 2023

Ah, the '80s... Disco tops, punk rock, leather blazers, and glam rock. The decade had it all. And if you were really going to live it up you'd want a watch that was singularly unique, sculptured in design, hand-crafted in Switzerland. One that tells time simultaneously in Monte Carlo, Beverly Hills, London, Paris, Rome, and Gstaad. Well, it's a few decades late but Zodiac and Rowing Blazers have made the perfect watch for that exact scenario. While it's no Rochefoucauld and lacks a certain thinness and sculpted elegance that would make Dan Aykroyd speak with an obnoxiously stilted affect like in the movie Trading Places, the new collaboration between Zodiac and Rowing Blazers is a new GMT world time watch that hits all those important cities listed in the movie on its blue bezel, all in a 40mm by 13.6mm stainless steel case. Inside, Zodiac has upgraded from Soprod to a STP7-20 movement with caller (independent GMT hand) movement, hours, minutes, seconds, and date. The watch has a black dial with white 24 hour track, Super-LumiNova, and the Rowing Blazers signature on the dial, and comes on a 5-link stainless steel bracelet. If you want to cosplay Louis Winthorpe III with the new Zodiac, it'll run you $2,195 C far cheaper than the watch he bought in the movie but more than the $50 he got for it at the pawn shop. What We Think As arbitrary and deep-cut referential limited editions go, this one is pretty fun. The Super Sea Wolf GMT is one of my favorite affordable vintage watches, but if you're worried about thedurability of a vintage watch and want something new, reliable, and fun, you could do worse than the new Zodiac and Rowing Blazers collab. I haven't gotten to see the watch in person so I don't know how the new STP7-20 movement shakes out during use. By going in-house (or rather in-group with the Fossil group that owns Zodiac and STP), adding silicon and upgraded component materials gives the movement more strength while removing reliance on the supply chain issues you might face relying on outside industry providers. That's all well and good and probably justifies the slight price bump from the previous model's specs, but at the end of the day this watch is all about fun and for me, this ticks that box. Now who wants to short some juice futures? The Basics Brand: Zodiac x Rowing BlazersModel: World Time GMTDiameter: 40mmThickness: 13.6mmCase Material: Stainless steelDial Color: BlackIndexes: Applied hour markers, world time bezelLume: Super-LumiNovaWater Resistance: 200mStrap/Bracelet: Five-link stainless steel bracelet and included NATO strap The Movement Caliber: STP7-20Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, caller GMT (independent GMT hand)Power Reserve: 40 hoursWinding: AutomaticFrequency: 28,800 vphJewels: 26Chronometer Certified: NoAdditional Details: World time bezel in Rowing Blazers' signature blue, with swapped cities for 1980s hotspots. Pricing & Availability Price: $2,195Availability: NowLimited Edition: Yes, 282 piecesFor more, click here. Shop this story Hodinkee is an authorized retailer of Zodiac. Find this limited edition in the Hodinkee Shop.