Historical dive
ZRC enhances its Grands Fonds 300 collection with a duo perpetuating the mood of the 1964 Spirit watches. Moreover, they embrace the latest innovations developed in-house.
The Grands Fonds 300 dive watch conjures up a tale, a one-of-a-kind bond between Humans and the sea. The 2021 vintages of ZRC’s iconic timepiece, designed by divers for divers, set the scene for an unprecedented chapter where state-of-the-artness espouses performance and esthetics.
References GF 41213 and GF 41218 whisk us off on a journey through time back to a period where exploration and a penchant for elegant style reigned supreme. Both pieces boast a host of adornments likely to charm lovers of vintage watches. On their brown-hued dial, the beige glows of the “Old radium” luminescent material set off the “Magnum” hands and round indexes of the unidirectional rotating bezel. This harmonious composition boosts the ever-so 60s personality of these novel variations of Grands Fonds 300 dive watches.
Both these references, with a date for one, no date for the other, also stand out with their “lollipop” direct-drive featuring a red tip and by the fact there is no minute tracker. As “Life is an Adventure”, the first is worn on a fabric strap whilst the second is complemented by a traditional adjustable steel Diver bracelet.
Performance-dedicated innovation
Although the lines of the iconic case haven’t changed, a handful of details have been revamped with a view to boosting the overall wearer-friendliness of the watch. In short, the Allen hexagon socket screw system on the case has been upgraded to offer more flexibility when changing the strap. Every screw is totally independent from the others. So, a single tool is all it takes to carry out a strap-change operation easily. This upgrade highlights ZRC’s willingness to provide a practical solution for its customers wishing for bespokeness.
Case pressure resistance has also been improved thanks to the inclusion of a two-part caseback. The first, a fixed one in reinforced stainless steel, based on 2 pivots, ensures the engraving remains straight along the 12 o’clock-6 o’clock axis. A steel clamp ring closes the ensemble without creating any pressure on the caseback seal. Here, there’s no risk whatsoever of water entering the case.
Likewise, to this same optimization end, elements have been revisited to perfect the Grands Fonds 300. The crown set at 6 o’clock has changed. Its deeper, less polished knurling makes gripping easier. The Crown Protection SystemTM, which prevents the strap from being attached and closed if the crown isn’t screwed correctly, is still included to secure immersions.
In the same vein, wishing to modernize the design of this new generation, the unidirectional rotating bezel with its 60 notches has been rethought. In its original version, there was a chance it could accidentally rotate during a dive. This shortcoming has now been corrected. The bezel is henceforth aligned with the inner side of the case chamfering to be 2/10th more withdrawn to ensure it doesn’t turn unintentionally or even jump. Here too, knurling has been bettered just like on the crown. Special attention has also been paid to noise to infuse its gyration with melodious clicking.
The bezel insert has, by the same token, also evolved. It is now fashioned using ceramic and is optimally corrosion- and oxidation-resistant. As well as offering a host of finish possibilities, this material can be dressed in a wide array of colors and its presence makes the Easy Clean SystemTM system even more efficient. This cutting-edge patented system prevents salt from crystallizing between the bezel and the case by ensuring fresh water flows freely inside the bezel when it’s being cleaned.
The 40.5 mm-diameter mono-block case crafted in non-magnetic 316L steel, with its one-of-a-kind silhouette extended by two massive beveled lugs hosts the Sellita SW200-1 caliber in its sophisticated version. This Swiss Made selfwinding mechanical movement, beating at a standard frequency of 28,800 vibrations an hour (4 Hz), delivers a power reserve of at least 38 hours.
With its stylistic and technical features, the Grands Fonds 300 exalts its status as an icon totally in tune with the times.
Technical specifications
CASE
MANUFACTURE
Monobloc case
Screwed case back & crown
DIAMETER 41,5 mm
MATERIAL
Nonmagnetic 316L Steel
ISO764 Standard: 4800 A/m
BEZEL
ECSTM system
(Patent N°1462496)
Unidirectional 60 divisions rotating bezel.
Ceramic insert
CROWN Located at 6H (Crown Protection System™). Inverted screwed thread with dual sealing
GLASS Sapphire 4mm padded anti-reflection
WATER RESISTANCE 300 meters proofed, tested up to 1000m
MOVEMENT
CALIBRE SELLITA “Elaborated” SW200-1
SETTING +7sec/day
AMPLITUDE (± 7sec/day) = from 0 to 14 sec/day max.
WINDING Automatic winding
POWER RESERVE 38 hours
FUNCTIONS Hour - Minutes - Seconds - Date
SYNTHETIC NATO STRAP
MANUFACTURE Synthetic NATO strap made in 2 parts available in 4 sizes S-SM-M-L
CLASP Tongue buckle
Current
watches
Newsletter feed
Suscribe
