ZODIAC Vintage Chronograph (by Heuer) / Two-Register, Champagne Dial

A two-register chronograph under the Zodiac brand, made by Heuer.

Zodiac is a long-established brand whose origin is the watch workshop founded in 1882 by Ariste Calame in Le Locle, Switzerland.

It produced a great many inventive models from the 1960s into the 1970s — a distinguished brand written into watch history.

Zodiac suspended production of mechanical watches for a time but returned in 2014, and is a maker worth watching.

In the 1960s Heuer supplied chronographs to brands including Zodiac, Hamilton and Tradition.

As a result, chronographs using almost the same components as the Heuer Carrera were sold under several brands.

The Heuer version of the Carrera is expensive, but these — identical in type — are within reach, which makes them ideal for daily wear or as a first vintage watch.

The dial is silver, softened over the years into a champagne tone, and shows a range of expressions depending on the angle of the light.