ZRC is a Swiss model that appears to reside on the shadowy periphery of the watch world. Regardless of being based over 120 years in the past, I can depend the occasions they’ve come up in informal watch conversations on no palms. That’s to say, it by no means occurs. Even once I agreed to take this new ZRC Grands Fonds Heterium for a diving check and test it out, I used to be considering to myself, “These are those with the crown on the underside proper?” and “…one thing to do with the French Navy?” This represented my total information of the model, so I used to be excited to do a little analysis and eventually be taught a concrete reality or two. After digging into it, I’ve concluded it’s a crying disgrace that we don’t discuss ZRC Watches extra usually, so hopefully we will flip over that new leaf collectively, beginning proper right here and proper now. Let’s begin with a bit historical past.
Model Historical past
Based in 1904 in Geneva by Edmond Zuccolo and Joseph Rochet, ZRC spent their early years as a purveyor of chains for pocket watches. In addition they created the first-ever claw bracelets, to permit pocket watches to be worn on the wrist. This might put them up there with the pioneers of the early days of wristwatches, however who did that first is a debate for one more time.
In 1917, ZRC received the highly-coveted Prix de l’Industrie Nouvelle de Genève (Geneva Prize for New Business) for creating the first-ever extendable metallic watch bracelet, and they might spend the following few a long time specializing in watch bracelets and straps, whereas additionally manufacturing watch circumstances for different private-label manufacturers. Starting within the Thirties they might begin to specialize in making waterproof watch circumstances with a view to meet the elevated demand from new navy purposes and applied sciences.
In 1958 Mr. Yves Pastre, an area watchmaker and store proprietor in Toulon, France, gave ZRC’s business director on the time, a sure Mr. Bourdain, an concept: the French Navy was searching for a water-proof watch provider, and since ZRC already had years of expertise constructing waterproof watch circumstances for others, why not make one among their very own and make a bid on the contract? The ensuing challenge and bid was successful. This might be the start of the ZRC Grands Fonds line of watches and they might go on to equip French Naval divers for the following 35 years, till 1995.
Soar forward to 2014 – Georges Brunet, the great-grandson of founder Joseph Rochet, determined to supply a re-release of the Grands Fonds to commemorate the one hundred and tenth anniversary of the corporate’s founding. Some manufacturing and growth points would delay {that a} bit and it was truly launched in 2015 for the corporate’s 111th birthday, however shut sufficient! The GF300 was launched in a restricted version of 300 items and the Grands Fonds had been reborn. With the success of this launch and a rising public urge for food for the tales and lore of classic dive watches, Mr. Brunet determined to completely relaunch the model and the Grands Fonds line in 2018.
The ZRC Grands Fonds Heterium
Now, in 2025, ZRC has two traces of dive watches: the recently launched Securicode line, which is a tribute to their very first dive watch again within the Nineteen Sixties, and the flagship Grands Fonds line, one among which we took diving and can discuss right here as we speak, the ZRC Grands Fonds Heterium.
The fashionable commonplace within the Grands Fonds line is named the Réédition, their pure, black dial no-date dive watch. This Heterium is that very same watch however with a beautiful blue-to-black gradient dial. This can be a 41.5mm stainless-steel Device watch with a capital T. Contemplating the fashionable model has NEVER produced a watch that was not a dive watch, we must always count on nothing much less. The angular, nearly brutalist case is all enterprise, as is the very recognizable crown on the 6 o’clock place, a Grands Fonds trademark. This was executed to maintain the crown out of the way in which and to make use of a singular fail-safe characteristic utilizing the cutout within the bracelet or strap, the CPS or Crown Safety System. The dimensions of the little cutout makes it unattainable to put on the watch except the crown is within the absolutely screwed-down place, eliminating the potential of unintentional flooding attributable to person carelessness. You technically can put on it within the incorrect place however the bracelet doesn’t articulate absolutely and you may inform one thing is flawed. It takes a bit to get used to manipulating the crown on this place (additionally as a result of it screws down in the other way of a typical crown), nevertheless it’s second nature when you get the cling of it.
The gradient blue dial is gorgeous to take a look at and likewise extremely legible, partly as a result of giant blocky sword palms and partly attributable to having Tremendous-LumiNova all over the place, from the utilized indices to little inside pips off of each hour marker to the big palms to the inlaid bezel markers. The black ceramic bezel options one other little bit of patented and acronym’d ZRC know-how. The ECS, or Straightforward Clear System, is a bit slot on high of, and a channel working right through the bezel that enables contemporary water to be circulated by way of to forestall the buildup of salt between the bezel and case, which may trigger corrosion over time. I’ve personally by no means spent sufficient time with one watch in salt water to have this be an issue, nevertheless it was applied after a suggestion from Yves Pastre, watchmaker to the French Navy, in order that’s adequate for me. Whether or not you want this characteristic in your day-to-day life or not, it’s an attention-grabbing little bit of tech.
ZRC specialize in one thing referred to as “programmed deformation of supplies” which in keeping with Google refers to “designing supplies with particular and controllable deformation behaviours underneath sure situations.” This scientific strategy permits them to make watches which are waterproof to nice depths with out having to resort to super-thick circumstances and crystals to take action. Certainly, this watch is rated right down to 1,000 metres, effectively past the dive watch commonplace of 300 metres, but is one way or the other solely about 13mm thick, and 14mm counting the crystal. It’s actually the thinnest 1,000-metre diver I’ve ever dealt with – and needless to say it’s truly examined to 1,500m.
The case again is yet one more attention-grabbing piece of know-how, with a mechanism borrowed from the way in which submarine hatches shut and seal. From ZRC, “the caseback consists of two distinct components. A clamping ring places stress on the shielded again which then applies a vertical stress on the gasket. Subsequently the armoured again stays ‘free’ and can accompany the ambient stress that it relays on the joint with a view to steadiness the pressures with out ever compromising the case.” I might want to see that in a video to really perceive the interior workings nevertheless it actually sounds cool, and something that makes for a thinner deep-dive watch is a victory.
Yet one more attention-grabbing and distinctive a part of this watch is the bracelet, no shock since ZRC spent years working as a bracelet producer. It’s a unusual mixture of 1 extra-long hyperlink, then an open, ladder-style hyperlink, after which regular hyperlinks coming off both sides of the case. The additional-long hyperlinks every have a built-in spring system, which works as a diver extension with out having to deploy something, because it routinely stretches to suit over a wetsuit. It’s a superb little characteristic that I now need in each bracelet throughout the board. The clasp can be distinctive, being a small hook that you simply use to lock every finish, after which a small rotating piece of metallic covers the connection to maintain it in place. It’s a bit tough to placed on by oneself, particularly over a wetsuit, however in any other case it’s by far essentially the most attention-grabbing bracelet I’ve seen because the first Tudor Pelagos bracelet got here out.
The motion inside is the Sellita Elaborate SW300-1. The highest-tier model of this well-known automated motion (an alternative to the ETA 2892) beats at 28,800vph with an influence reserve of 56 hours and is rated to +/- 5 seconds per day, which is near COSC spec with out truly being COSC licensed. That covers all of the specs so now let’s take it diving.
The Grands Fonds Heterium In The Water
We took the ZRC Grands Fonds Heterium on a couple of shipwreck and reef dives down south Florida and it proved to be a superb diving companion. I attempted it on the bracelet and the rubber strap, and whereas my desire could be the bracelet, the problem of placing it on with out assist from a buddy would most likely lead me to go for the rubber strap if this was my watch incessantly used for diving. Both choice was very snug and the truth that ZRC has used screws to connect the strap as an alternative of the standard spring bars means there’s little fear of the watch popping off underneath the rigours of scuba diving. The 60-click bezel units simply and has a really satisfying motion. My solely critique is there may very well be a bit bit extra grip or possibly a barely bigger bezel to assist with articulation, because it’s very skinny, particularly with a gloved hand.
Underwater the watch is extremely legible as a result of barely reflective nature of the dial and the copious quantities of lume. The bigger minute hand by no means left any doubt as to how lengthy I had been underwater at a fast look. It will be a bit simpler to calculate with precise numerals on the bezel however it could take away from the aesthetics so I feel that’s a good trade-off for what’s successfully a backup timer anyway. From an aesthetic and romantic standpoint, the watch has tons of classic allure and provides you the sensation you may be doing one thing essential like smoking cigarettes on deck with Jacques Cousteau or clearing harbours of explosives with the French Frogmen of the Nineteen Sixties, and don’t all of us wish to really feel like that at the least from time to time?
Closing Ideas
The extra I realized about ZRC researching this text, the extra stunned I grew to become that they appear to get so little recognition, as their technical and navy chops put them up there with the Tudors and Rolexes of the watch world. Possibly that’s for the perfect, as watch fans love the proverbial “secret handshake.” However, since Mr. Brunet mentioned they’re engaged on extra growth of the model and likewise on impending chronograph and GMT fashions, I feel it’s secure to say that this secret membership received’t be a secret very for much longer.
Now accessible from licensed sellers for CHF 3,290 on rubber strap and CHF 3,690 on metal bracelet. Extra data at zrc1904.com.
https://monochrome-watches.com/zrc-grands-fonds-heterium-diving-review-underwater-specs-price/
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