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Serviced & running perfectly on the timegrapher. 
 
Please compare accordingly to what this watch has to offer against other battered offerings with vague descriptions & cases that have been polished to death.
Some you would not even know that they should  have  brushed cases with beveled flanks. This is a great deal on the rare 40mm mens version with the more symmetrical sought after 12 o clock date window dial. 
 
Case: Chunky all steel flying saucer shaped case.   
This ufo measures 40mm across not including original signed crown by 43.5 from lug to lug. 
 
Dial: This space age freak is a total blast to look at. Fairly simple layout with the stunning silver/grey sunburst dial with the crisp white text.The lumed white hands and red seconds dot are on a clear disc which gives the impression of levitation.The Zodiac emblem and the chapter ring are printed on the crystal which adds nice layers  of depth to this seventies dial. I love the date window at 12. 
 
Movement: This guy runs on a swiss 17 jewel zodiac 88d hi beat ticking away at 36,000 beats per minute. I just had this one fully serviced, and it's running tip-top with a complete overhaul to bring this classic from the rich Zodiac back  tothe future at a cost of £177 from my master watch servicer of over thirty years experience. It really has been lovingly brought back to life. 
 
The astrographic was one of the legendary timepieces of the early 70s.This is a unique example because it's typical that these are found more often in the gold-plated variant with the gold dial, so it's rare to find the silver dial, steel case version. With its hi-beat movement, wild ufo case, and shocking mystery dial, this is a must-have for any serious watch collector. 
 
  The history 
 
Zodiac Astrographic SST 40mm watch. All Original Vintage, Stunning Condition. 1969-1972 & serviced.
 
Amazing Condition all Original down to the Zodiac bracelet, clasp, mineral crystal  & original brushing to the case as It would have been when It left the factory over fifty years ago.Beware of some of the battered offerings out there. All with this lovely rare sunburst  silver/grey almost translucent dial.
 
The History
 
As the 1960s drew to a close and other brands worked up mechanical marvels such as automatic chronographs, Zodiac chose to rescue the mystery dial from blingy ostentation and reimagine it as pure futuristic kitsch.
Although a Swiss brand, Zodiac had always been strong in the US market. Its dive watch,the Sea Wolf, produced in 1953, the same year as the Rolex Submariner and the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, was adopted by the US Navy Seals in the early 1970s. 
 
The Zodiac Astrographic, then, is a bold statement watch. Produced in either an oval or rectangular case, the steeply sloping sides rise high to accommodate the stacked discs above the dial.
 
The background dial colour is a vivid sunburst translucent grey. The hour and minute “hands” were rectangular blocks that gave the appearance of conventional hands, except they were not attached at the centre – seeming to float in space; the seconds were shown by an orbiting red dot around the dial edge. Luminous hour markers, minute track and the large Zodiac logo that hid the centre pinion of the discs were all printed on the underside of the glass to add to the futuristic effect.
 
For all its external outlandishness, under the bonnet the Astrographic boasts some serious watchmaking. It is powered by Zodiac’s Split Second Timing (SST) movement, one of the first automatic 36,000bph hi-beat movements, based on an AS calibre and developed jointly by Zodiac, Girard-Perregaux, Eberhard, Doxa and Favre-Leuba.
This hi-beat action smooths the passage of the red seconds dot around the dial adding to the sense of otherworldliness. 
 
If you are captivated by the Astrographic to the point of wanting to track one down, you can get that futuristic mystery comes with a few warning notes. Hi-beat movements need careful maintenance, as high speed means high wear.
Make sure that your chosen watch has been serviced and oiled correctly to prevent it becoming a fanciful paperweight. The crystal, with its printing on the underside, is very hard to replace if broken so steer away from any with deep scratches. Finally, the clear discs that create the “floating” illusion have to be clean to be effective. 
The best option is to follow that old adage of vintage collecting and buy the best possible condition you can afford.
Alternatively, track down one of the reissues from the 45th or 50th anniversaries.You lose a lot of the charm so make sure if its vintage its a quality example.