In 1882, Ariste Calame, son of a watchmaker and driven by the goal to create the most precise watch ever, established a workshop in Switzerland, where he crafted the first Zodiac—a distinctively characterized pocket watch. This marked the beginning of a series of technical advancements in Swiss watchmaking. Due to the high quality and innovative designs, Calame’s enterprise quickly became one of the fastest-growing in Switzerland. By 1908, Ariste Calame had officially patented Zodiac as a brand name and began manufacturing its own calibers and movements, which were integral to its pocket watches. In 1924, Zodiac further innovated with the launch of its first extra-flat pocket watch featuring the Zodiac calibre 1617 movement. Read more ⇢