A shocking discovery!

[Grossisten]

I wanted to locate my digital Zodiac watch, that I got around 1981. I wasn't quite sure where to look.

And suddenly, when going through some other stuff, there it was! Only the back was off. I have never opened it before and never gave it a thought (mind you, I haven't worn it since the 80'ies.)

That's when I made a shocking discovery. If you look really closely you'll see that it was...... Made in Hongkong!

A Zodiac made in Hongkong, no way I thought. But there is no doubt, Hongkong is clearly printed on the plastic inside.

And it's not a fake, I got it directly from the Zodiac factory back then.

It does make sense in some way, it was impossible for the Swiss to compete with the cheap Far Eastern watches. Why not buy parts and label them Zodiac? Perhaps choose a better case and a nicer design, but still if you got your mechanical movements from Schild and later ETA, a movement from Hongkong would be just as reasonable when it comes to digital watches.

I'm guessing this watch could be from the Zenith/Dixi era, which would make more sense as they did try to revive the brand with various initiatives, but I'm not entirely sure if it isn't perhaps a few years older.

Have any of you come across this model before?

[Butch]

I don't even look at anything that new so could not say myself. I can say this though, and I am not sure when it started. Back at the turn of the century Ken Genender told me that as long as there is a Swiss National on the production floor, it is considered made in Switzerland. Even if the factory is located in China.