ZRC Grands Fonds 300 MN64 Reissue automatic tropicalized dial leather strap 41,5 mm

The story

ZRC is a Swiss brand founded in 1904 by Edmund Zuccolo and Joseph Roche. It initially specialized in the manufacture of technical bracelets for watches. In 1917, it won the Grand Prix de l'Innovation de l'Industrie Genevoise at the Industries Nouvelles competition for its stretchable metal watchband. But its motto "When adventure gives life to a revolutionary product" led it to design and produce an exceptional product! Indeed, in 1960, the company began developing its first watch, which soon became famous! The ZRC Grands Fonds 300 meters. The company's founders being true underwater sports enthusiasts, it was only logical to design a watch as extreme as its straps. A few years later, the ZRC diver's watch entered a new dimension. At the time, the French Navy placed its own orders for diver's watches, with ultra-rigorous specifications. In a nationwide call for tenders, ZRC was chosen to supply the watches. Its Grand Fond equipped French Navy divers until 1982. It was even approved by NATO, confirming its resistance to any test! 50 years after the first Grands Fonds 300 watch, Georges & Charles Brunet, at the head of the family business (great-grandsons of Joseph Rochet), set about reissuing the iconic model. Since then, the brand has gone from strength to strength, offering diving watches made from the finest materials and assembled with meticulous attention to detail. Every component is designed and produced in Switzerland to the most rigorous standards. ZRC watches are acclaimed by collectors and diving enthusiasts for the style, technicality and strong character that emanates from its pieces!

Getting to know you

A contemporary take on the 1964 Grands Fonds 300®, the "Réédition MN64" collection is made up of versatile, aesthetic and practical everyday diving watches. Like all ZRC® watches, these benefit from the brand's latest technical innovations integrated into the famous hexagonal monobloc case, waterproof to a depth of 1000 meters and tested to 1500M. They also feature the Crown Protection System™, which guarantees 100% functional water-resistance. Until the crown is fully screwed in, the watchband cannot be closed. The presence of the Easy Clean System, ECS®, prevents the crystallization of sea salt between the unidirectional bezel and the case. It's a unique system for cleaning the inside of the bezel with a circulation of clear water, and it's the ultimate tribute to the original Grands Fonds® that's clearly part of the brand's DNA.

The model

With its 41 mm-diameter satin-finish steel case and leather strap, this version is something of a little nugget from the Grands Fonds collection! This model has a vintage feel, as if it had been rediscovered a few decades later after its production.

On this version, we appreciate its "tropicalized" black dial, inspired by dials that have patinated with time and the sun's UV rays, its tritium-colored SLN-X1 Super-Luminova hour markers, its ceramic bezel and its famous "Magnum" hands! This watch comes with a vegetable-grown leather strap, which enhances the vintage look of the model. UV-sensitive, this strap will take on a beautiful patina over time.

Engine side

The Maison ZRC has chosen to use the new SELLITA SW300-1 movement in an elaborate version for its MN64 watches in the Grands Fonds range. In collaboration with the Swiss manufacturer, ZRC has developed an oscillating weight specifically balanced around a rotor centered on 3 axes to further enhance automatic winding. With a precision of +/- 5sec per day, this caliber also boasts a 56-hour power reserve. What's more, its locked micrometric adjustment maintains precision even during sporty use, while the INCABLOC shock absorber mounted on the balance shaft protects the heart of the movement from violent shocks.