THE ZODIAC ASTROGRAPHIC WATCH On December 20th 1968 the Zodiac Killer murdered David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen in a lonely turnout in Benicia, waking up the following day to news about the slayings and the manned Apollo 8 mission to the moon, which launched on December 21st 1968. It would be 6 1/2 months before the return of the Zodiac Killer, when he attacked Michael Mageau and Darlene Ferrin at Blue Rock Springs on July 5th 1969, before mailing his first communications on July 31st 1969 and August 4th 1969.
In later years there has been much debate on the origin of the pseudonym "Zodiac" and his "crosshairs" logo, with many believing the inspiration lay in the Zodiac watch brand, founded in Switzerland by Ariste Calame in 1882. The Zodiac watches contained both the pseudonym and crosshairs together on the watch face. This thought process featured heavily regarding the prime suspect, Arthur Leigh Allen, who owned this very watch.
In the run up to the Zodiac Killer's commuications on July 31st 1969 and August 4th 1969, a new Zodiac watch brand was about to hit the market, designed to coincide with the current Space Age and the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 21st 1969. A mission that began on July 16th 1969 and ended when the astronauts returned to Earth on July 24th 1969. A week later, the Zodiac Killer mailed three letters to the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner and Vallejo Times-Herald, which all contained crosshairs. Four days further on, the Zodiac Killer mailed the "Debut" letter with his now infamous pseudonym "Zodiac". The watch brand was called the Zodiac Astrographic, and was designed with a "mystery dial" timepiece of floating hands. Whether the launch of Apollo 8 on December 21st 1968 had stuck in the Zodiac Killer's mind when he noticed the "space inspired" Zodiac Astrographic watch prior to his earliest communications, is anybody's guess. But it does bring forward the astrological connection.
In later years there has been much debate on the origin of the pseudonym "Zodiac" and his "crosshairs" logo, with many believing the inspiration lay in the Zodiac watch brand, founded in Switzerland by Ariste Calame in 1882. The Zodiac watches contained both the pseudonym and crosshairs together on the watch face. This thought process featured heavily regarding the prime suspect, Arthur Leigh Allen, who owned this very watch.
In the run up to the Zodiac Killer's commuications on July 31st 1969 and August 4th 1969, a new Zodiac watch brand was about to hit the market, designed to coincide with the current Space Age and the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 21st 1969. A mission that began on July 16th 1969 and ended when the astronauts returned to Earth on July 24th 1969. A week later, the Zodiac Killer mailed three letters to the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner and Vallejo Times-Herald, which all contained crosshairs. Four days further on, the Zodiac Killer mailed the "Debut" letter with his now infamous pseudonym "Zodiac". The watch brand was called the Zodiac Astrographic, and was designed with a "mystery dial" timepiece of floating hands. Whether the launch of Apollo 8 on December 21st 1968 had stuck in the Zodiac Killer's mind when he noticed the "space inspired" Zodiac Astrographic watch prior to his earliest communications, is anybody's guess. But it does bring forward the astrological connection.
THE SWISS FLAG I have failed to find any mention of the watch connection to Zodiac in any of the early newspaper articles about this case, which is why I found the two pasted horoscope letters on December 10th 1969 and December 11th 1969 so very curious. The December 10th 1969 letter from Sacramento, called the Day-by-day forecast for Cancer, contained two prominent cuttings aligned with one another, giving us the words "Zodiac" and "Watch". Was this a clue to the origin of the Zodiac Killer's pseudonym? Had he read this as a suggestion somewhere in the newspapers or other media outlets and dropped us a clue? Postmarked the following day on December 11th 1969, there was a further horoscope page mailed from San Francisco, called the Day-by-day forecast for Leo. Two unusual cuttings were placed on this correspondence, that featured the wording "Run a Crooked Mile Mystery", a British crime thriller released on November 18th 1969. The second appeared to be a cross symbol. These two cuttings on December 11th 1969 made little sense whatsoever, compared to the use of "Zodiac" and "Watch" on December 10th 1969. Until we consider that this cross looks like the flag of Switzerland, the origin country of the Zodiac watch brand. But what on earth has the "Run a Crooked Mile Mystery" TV movie got to do with any of this?
The movie is described as follows: "A man witnesses a murder in a secluded mansion. When he reports it, there's no evidence of the murder, or that anyone was there. He finds a key on the floor and goes to his boss to get help when he's struck from behind. He wakes up in a hospital room after a polo accident to find he's had amnesia for two years, is now married, and living in Switzerland. He still has the key and the memories of the murder". We now have two connections to Switzerland on December 11th 1969, allied with "Zodiac" and "Watch" on December 10th 1969 (to give us four in total). The horoscope page entitled Day-by-day forecast for Cancer, containing the words "Zodiac" and "Watch", had the star sign of "Cancer" circled as if to imply some significance to this sign. The horoscope date of the Cancer sign runs from approximately June 22nd to July 23nd and encompasses the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 21st 1969, thereby taking us back to the impending launch of the Zodiac Astrographic watch.
The movie is described as follows: "A man witnesses a murder in a secluded mansion. When he reports it, there's no evidence of the murder, or that anyone was there. He finds a key on the floor and goes to his boss to get help when he's struck from behind. He wakes up in a hospital room after a polo accident to find he's had amnesia for two years, is now married, and living in Switzerland. He still has the key and the memories of the murder". We now have two connections to Switzerland on December 11th 1969, allied with "Zodiac" and "Watch" on December 10th 1969 (to give us four in total). The horoscope page entitled Day-by-day forecast for Cancer, containing the words "Zodiac" and "Watch", had the star sign of "Cancer" circled as if to imply some significance to this sign. The horoscope date of the Cancer sign runs from approximately June 22nd to July 23nd and encompasses the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 21st 1969, thereby taking us back to the impending launch of the Zodiac Astrographic watch.
TIM HOLT COMIC BOOK Ten months after the two horoscope pages the Zodiac Killer mailed the Halloween card on October 27th 1970, a partial response to the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper article "Gilbert and Sullivan Clue to Zodiac", which two weeks earlier mentioned the murders of teenagers David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen. The Zodiac Killer appeared to incorporate the young couple into the Halloween card by writing 4-TEEN above the skull of the skeleton, reminding us that four teenagers were part of his running victim total. As of October 27th 1970 the Zodiac Killer was claiming the murders of David Faraday (17), Betty Lou Jensen (16), Kathie Snoozy (15) and Debra Furlong (14). To accompany the Halloween card he used an Apollo 8 stamp on the envelope, which commemorated the launch of the manned mission on December 21st 1968, the day the first Zodiac murders broke in the news
Discovered by Tahoe27 many years ago, she noted the resemblance of By Fire, By Gun, By Rope and By Knife on the Halloween card, to the 30th issue of the Tim Holt comic book series, whose front page contained a "Death Wheel" of punishment By Fire, By Gun, By Rope and By Knife. However, if we turn to page 2 of the Tim Holt comic book we get an advertisement for Switzerland airlines (Swissair) mentioning a record flight (FLT) between New York and Geneva. Prominent front and center of this advertisement is the Swiss flag, which mirrors the cross image pasted onto the Day-by-day forecast for Leo horoscope page on December 11th 1969, which accompanied the TV movie "Run a Crooked Mile Mystery", partly filmed in Geneva, Switzerland. This horoscope page followed the Day-by-day forecast for Cancer communication on December 10th 1969, which featured the wording "Zodiac" and "Watch", synonymous with the Swiss watchmaker. A company that made the Zodiac Astrographic watch to commemorate the Space Age and the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 21st 1969. A watch that maybe inspired the Zodiac Killer's pseudonym and logo on July 31st 1969 and August 4th 1969.
Discovered by Tahoe27 many years ago, she noted the resemblance of By Fire, By Gun, By Rope and By Knife on the Halloween card, to the 30th issue of the Tim Holt comic book series, whose front page contained a "Death Wheel" of punishment By Fire, By Gun, By Rope and By Knife. However, if we turn to page 2 of the Tim Holt comic book we get an advertisement for Switzerland airlines (Swissair) mentioning a record flight (FLT) between New York and Geneva. Prominent front and center of this advertisement is the Swiss flag, which mirrors the cross image pasted onto the Day-by-day forecast for Leo horoscope page on December 11th 1969, which accompanied the TV movie "Run a Crooked Mile Mystery", partly filmed in Geneva, Switzerland. This horoscope page followed the Day-by-day forecast for Cancer communication on December 10th 1969, which featured the wording "Zodiac" and "Watch", synonymous with the Swiss watchmaker. A company that made the Zodiac Astrographic watch to commemorate the Space Age and the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 21st 1969. A watch that maybe inspired the Zodiac Killer's pseudonym and logo on July 31st 1969 and August 4th 1969.
PAGE 2 FROM THE TIM HOLT COMIC BOOK
RSS Feed
