Since 2015, ZRC has left its mark on the watchmaking landscape. How would you assess these years of growth?

The results are beyond positive. In 2015, ZRC rose from the ashes like a Phoenix. Since then, the brand has become firmly established in France through 50 exclusive partnerships established with the best watchmakers in the country. Growth remains extremely consistent. Despite social unrest and the health crisis, the future holds great promise, especially as the brand approaches its 120th anniversary in 2024, when a new historical model signed ZRC will be launched.

What are your upcoming areas of development?

ZRC needs to clearly target the European market in the same way as it positioned itself in France and Switzerland. Italy, Germany, England, and Spain are key markets that we cannot ignore. Unfortunately, two years of COVID considerably slowed down our efforts to expand the brand. We also need to come up with a more “democratic” model than the emblematic Grands Fonds MN64 with its crown at 6 o’clock in order to seduce a wider public.

ZRC watches are becoming more colorful. What’s behind this aesthetic shift?

As a matter of fact, as early as 1969, the release of the Spatiale ZRC had already explored colored dials and bezels. This represents a logical continuation of proposing color palettes in order to revitalize the collections and especially to break away from the eternal black dial! Without necessarily succumbing to the canons of “fashion at any price” we would prefer to be subtle, by adding a touch of color to both the dials and the wristbands.

The post Georges Brunet: “Growth remains very stable and… the future is bright” appeared first on Watches News.

Beyond is the sole frontier. That which impels people to explore. After backing Alban Michon on the ice floe in 2018, ZRC headed out again at the end of last year to support the Return to Campana (1840-2022) challenge led by Frenchman Frédéric Presles. The objective? Follow the route of La Delphine, a vessel that was shipwrecked in 1840 on the deserted island of Campana. To reach this hostile territory, his team departed from Chiloé Island, between the Howling Fifties and the Roaring Forties, along the coast of Chilean Patagonia, then navigated without instruments or seabed maps in order to rediscover the fauna and flora of a geography long forgotten since 1840. Without instruments? Almost, actually, the explorers wore a GF41208SO watch on their wrists that was designed for this challenge.

With its tropicalized dial in sepia tones, this timepiece from the 1964 Spirit collection has the look of a treasure map. To withstand the rigors of the harshest weather conditions, every detail was designed to optimize the ruggedness of the watch. Thus, the monobloc case provides increased water resistance to a depth of 1,000 meters. Available in a limited edition of only 100 pieces, the GF41208SO incorporates all the technical features inherent in the original model’s inspired line. It also offers all the new features present since 2015: unidirectional rotating bezel in steel with ceramic insert, Easy Clean System^TM, and Crown Protect System^TM. Together with excellent legibility of the temporal data, this watch is ready for any adventure.

The post GF 41208 SO appeared first on Watches News.

One approaches the heights, the other the depths. And yet, they both enter into a symbiotic relationship with the same element: water. For Catalin Preda, a permanent member of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, the aerial ballet has to be excellent every time. In Paris as well as in Mostar in 2022, he took the Cliff Diving win with the highest score ever achieved in competition. From his diving platform situated 27 meters above sea level, his vision of the world differs significantly, as does his notion of time. Each dive requires flawless timing. In a matter of seconds, the figures unfold fluidly one after another. Having started competing at the age of 7, he is now taking high altitude diving to its most demanding level. Throughout the 2023 season, he will have ZRC at his side, with whom he shares the same values – exacting standards and the quest for perfection.

The Romanian diver joins Stephane Tourreau. Born in the foothills of the Alps, he never resists the call of the Big Blue. The Frenchman became in 2016 vice world champion in constant weight mono-fin. He dove down to a depth of -111m during the World Cup Vertical Blue organized in the Bahamas in 2021. Being one with the marine environment, ZRC shares this passion with freedivers. Since 2015, the Geneva-based brand has thus backed all his efforts by equipping him with diving watches capable of withstanding the extreme pressures encountered at great depths. A shot of pure adrenaline for one, a seamless exploration of a fascinating undersea world for the other. With ZRC, life becomes an adventure, with challenge as the only horizon.

The post Catalin Preda appeared first on Watches News.

With this new incarnation in the Marine Nationale 64 collection, ZRC delivers a purely dynamic take on its iconic all-purpose watch. The Grands Fonds 300 MN 64 Tangerine pairs an orange dial with a comfortable matching rubber wristband. The colorful attributes of this seductive combination stimulate the senses, energizing the personality of the timepiece. The GF41199 invigorates the owner’s overall style on all occasions with its warm hues and chic attitude. On the strength of its elegant design and exemplary finish, the Grands Fonds becomes the ideal companion for a daily life free of all convention. Life is all about adventure!

As with all the MN 64 line references, this model features excellent legibility and technical improvements developed and patented by ZRC. The unidirectional rotating steel bezel with its ceramic insert is equipped with the Easy Clean System^TM, enabling the removal of salt crystals. Thanks to the Crown Protection System^TM, the wristband cannot be closed unless the crown is fully screwed in. Meanwhile, the hour and minute hands, as well as the “lollipop” type second hand, are all coated with Super-Luminova^® and are precisely driven by the Sellita SW-200-1 caliber in its highly developed version. In keeping with all ZRC watches, the GF41199 incorporates the latest research on programmed material deformation. Thus, its emblematic steel hexagonal case, 41.5mm in diameter, offers increased water resistance to a depth of 300 meters, guaranteed by tests conducted down to -1,500 meters. The very best of technique and style are on display!

The post GF 41199 appeared first on Watches News.

Since June 2015, more than 9,000 dives were made in the waters of the Big Blue, offering professional and amateur divers from all walks of life the opportunity to test ZRC watches under actual conditions. Located on the Var coast in France, the Lavandou Diving Club, run by Laurent and Frank Augustin – CMAS 3-star level instructors, has thus become the brand’s primary Dive Test Center. On average, 900 underwater excursions are made each year involving the five watches supplied to the club, at depths of between 30 and 60 meters in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea renowned worldwide for its biodiversity, with each entrusted model returning to its natural environment. Instructors and club clients can strap on a watch of their choice over their neoprene wetsuit, from the Grands Fonds 300 collection. They can also test a GF 3000 able to withstand extreme pressure or even the brand new GF 38 Heritage. They are then able to assess the degree of comfort, the level of legibility, as well as the various functionalities.

Upon returning from a dive in the Port-Cros National Park, a change of scenery takes place. Here, these lovers of underwater explorations and beautiful watchmaking get together for an evening to appreciate the models tested in situ on the dive. In this relaxed setting, a ZRC watch is worn the same way one would expect on a daily basis. More than simply a dive club, the ZRC Dive Test Center provides a place for the general public to meet and exchange ideas with experienced users, whether or not they are diving professionals.

The post Lavandou Plongée appeared first on Watches News.

While capable of handling extreme depths, the GF 3000 Titanium collection also brings a touch of elegance to dry land. To deliver such versatility, ZRC skillfully blends contemporary appeal with the original design specific to the Geneva-based brand and the excellence of its diving watch expertise. As a result, the new GF50699 stands out with a refined combination of colors. On its intense black dial, the numbers 3, 6, and 9 stand out in orange for optimal readability. This same vibrant color enhances the Magnum-type minute hand. The overall look is further accentuated by the luminous contribution of the unidirectional bezel with its black glossy ceramic insert. With its fresh, sporty look, this model with its decidedly chic appeal can be worn over a thick neoprene wetsuit just as well as with a casual outfit in town.

Underneath this seductive scenography lies a genuine tool capable of handling all underwater excursions. Light and robust, its 42mm diameter grade 2 titanium case is equipped with a 5mm domed sapphire crystal and an armored 316L steel caseback. This strongbox is perfected thanks to the advanced studies in the programmed deformation of material and without helium valve, offering exceptional waterproofness. It is guaranteed to be watertight to a depth of 3,000 meters after tests carried out at a depth of less than 5,000 meters! At its heart, an elaborate Sellita SW200-1 automatic caliber precisely orchestrates the time data. Life is all about adventures. Simply choose yours!

The post GF 50699 appeared first on Watches News.