Zodiac "Poor Man's Carrera" Panda Dial Chronograph

For many wristwatch collectors, the name that is printed on the dial is where they begin assessing the value of a watch.  But at analog/shift, we believe that it is what is under the hood that counts.  Sure, the value of a brand name can be important, but the buck shouldn't stop there. 

Throughout the 60's and 70's, Heuer, the brand chosen by famous racers like Jo Siffert and Steve McQueen, was batch producing watches for a number of other brand.  This practice gave rise to a whole subset of Heuer-built timepieces - assembled from the same parts bins as the Carreras and Autavias - that were sold under a variety of other brand names. These watches have lovingly become known as "Poor Man's" Heuers (Thanks, Jeff!) because they were often much less expensive to buy than their Heuer-signed counterparts.  

In addition to providing watches for big retailers like Zales and Sears Roebuck, Heuer built watches for other brands as well, including Hamilton and Zodiac.

What's incredible about these Poor Man's Heuers were that they utilized some of the very same components that Heuer was using on their own timepieces.  While you won't find many with Calibre 11s or 12s, the PMHs almost always featured Valjoux manual-wind movements of the 773X series and had similar dials, hands crowns and pushers.  This made them every bit as mechanically robust as they were gorgeous.

This particular piece was signed by Zodiac, and features a Valjoux 7730 chronograph unit with a gorgeous 2-register "panda" dial.  Nearly indistinguishable to it's Carrera cousins, this wonderful, all-original Zodiac is a great way to get into vintage Heuer without spending an arm and a leg to do so.  

Our Pledge

Analog:Shift stands behind the authenticity of our products in perpetuity.

Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.