The concept of ‘summer’ and vintage watches don’t inherently pair well together. With an increase in humidity, the prospect of spending at least a few weeks in and around the sea, the requirement for some resistance to water and dust is a point of contention for vintage watches. While it’s possible to get vintage diving watches regasketed and tested, few collectors do this in reality, instead favouring a vicarious approach to vintage collecting. There aren’t many types of watches better suited to this than the diving watch, and there is one model which, ever since I learnt about nearly ten years ago, I still think of regularly and question what could have been, the Zenith S.58.
History tells us that ‘Zenith’ and ‘diving watches’ haven’t been regularly matched together. As the brand that owns the trademark for ‘Pilots’ and as a key innovator in the automatic chronograph scene thanks to the El Primero, Zenith never felt the need to follow many of its competitors in an arms race to the ocean depths – but that didn’t stop them trying. Zenith isn’t a brand that comes to mind when considering the history of diving watches. In 2024, the brand brought its diving pedigree into the spotlight with the Defy Revival A3648 and their Extreme Diver, but before this, many of Zenith’s diving watches have remained lesser-known, quirky, and short-lived model runs.
Zenith S.58 Advertisement (1958)
However, approximately ten years before the original A3648’s introduction, Zenith released the S.58. The lore around the S.58 name runs deep, with the ‘S’ element causing the most debate among collectors. For many years, it was believed that its name was a callback to the anti-submarine warfare aircraft, the Sikorsky S-58 helicopter. It is now understood that the ‘S’ references ‘scaphandre’, which is French for ‘diving suit’ – a more appropriate and logical explanation. With the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and Rolex Submariner arriving in 1953, you may assume the S.58 was late to the serious diving watch party with its 1958 release date, but Omega’s Seamaster was released in 1957, and super compressor pieces also took some years to arrive in the late 1950s.
The earliest examples of the S.58 came without a rotating dive bezel in a stainless steel case reminiscent of those used for Fifty Fathoms models at 36.5mm. Large luminous numerals at the cardinal points, baton metal surround markers, and a bold handset defined those early models. For the most part, this formula remained unchanged throughout the lifespan of this model, only with the addition of a date complication, a shift away from a bumper movement to automatic ones, and a rotating bezel arriving during the early 1960s editions. In fact, over its ten-year lifespan, the S.58 underwent four key marks or evolutions, including an increase in diameter to 38mm during the early 1960s, four calibre changes – first the calibre 120, the 133.8, the 71/120, and finally the 2532/2542. All of these changes were in the name of advancement, and the pursuit of producing a genuine utilitarian diver was the ultimate goal.
Image credit: tortoisewatches
The S.58 was discontinued in 1968 to make way for the original of the recently re-imagined A3648, a model and collection that overshadowed the S.58, seemingly banishing the 1950s piece to the history books. For such a beautifully classic watch from a brand with real pedigree, the S.58 is a forgotten diver from the golden age, produced by a manufacturer many collectors didn’t know ever turned its hand to diving watches. Today, the market for these pieces is scarce for quality examples, but they are out there. As with any purpose-intended sports watch, extra diligence should be taken when looking to add a piece to a collector to ensure there has been no water damage over the years, any reluming has been done with care, as well as dial refinishing, and the completeness of Bakelite bezels.
Image credit: Watches83
Prices for the S.58 can vary depending on the marks, but expect to pay around £5,000 and upwards for a quality, honest example. Compare this price to any of the other early widespread diving watches dating from the 1950s, such as the Rolex Submariner or Omega Seamaster, and expect an extra zero at the end of the price tag.
Specialist vintage watches like this are prime examples of how working directly with knowledgeable and proven watch dealers can make life pain-free. Within the UK, few dealers can compete with Tortoise Watches regarding vintage Zenith. Its founder, Arvin Jhand, is based in the heart of London within Grays Antique Market, offering a wide selection of vintage watches that also fall under the Vintage Hero category, so if you want your eyes open even more, that’s undoubtedly the place to head to.
