ZRC Watches

ZRC: The Most Function-First Dive Watch You’ve Never Heard Of

ZRC isn’t here to win beauty contests.

They’re here to make one of the most over-engineered, uniquely designed, and military-approved dive watches on the planet.

This is a brand that built a case the French Navy couldn’t break, then added a crown at 6 o’clock, a bezel lock system, and more functional weirdness than most collectors know what to do with.

If you love dive watches but you’re bored of Sub clones and faux patina, ZRC is a breath of saltwater-sprayed fresh air.

Brand History: Built for Frogmen, Not Fashion

ZRC (Zürich Reloj Company) was founded in 1904 in Switzerland, but the real story starts in the 1960s, when they were tapped to develop a dive watch for the French Navy’s elite combat swimmers (the Marine Nationale).

The result? The now-legendary Grands Fonds 300 — a tool watch so specifically built for underwater work that it looked like nothing else on the market:

  • Crown at 6 o’clock to avoid wrist damage and allow glove-friendly use

  • Monobloc case for water resistance

  • Steel bracelet with automatic extension to fit over wetsuits

  • Patent-pending bezel lock system that required screwing in the crown to rotate the bezel — a mechanical safety feature still rare today

It was the real deal. No fluff, no luxury story, just a dive tool designed for mission-critical underwater timing.

Collector Highlights: The Grands Fonds Lives On

  • Grands Fonds 300 Reissue – Faithful to the original MN spec, but upgraded for modern wear. 38–40mm case (it wears bigger), bold markers, 6 o’clock crown, and yes — still with the bezel lock system.

  • Grands Fonds 1964 Spirit – A more vintage-leaning take with slimmer proportions and retro-style dials. Looks killer on Tropic straps.

  • GF3000 Titanium / Deep Blue – ZRC’s modernized big-boy diver: titanium case, helium escape valve, and 1,000m WR. Basically a dive tank on your wrist.

  • French Navy Editions – Often made with engraved casebacks or color nods to MN spec. Very collectible in small drops.

All ZRC models are built around ISO 6425 diver standards, and powered by ETA 2824 or Sellita SW200 movements, depending on batch. Rock-solid and easily serviceable.

Why Collectors Should Care

  • True military provenance — not marketing fluff

  • Totally unique case design — nothing else looks like a ZRC

  • Built like a tank, wears surprisingly well

  • Real engineering decisions behind every feature

  • Still under the radar — even among hardcore dive guys

  • Perfect for Sub-fatigued collectors who want something that actually tells a new story

These are not fashion pieces. These are dive tools that happen to look awesome because they had to function under pressure.

What They’re Making Now: One Watch, Dozens of Legit Variants

Modern ZRC production focuses 99% on the Grands Fonds line, but in a ton of flavors:

  • Steel and titanium case options

  • Colorful and MN-inspired dials (black, blue, green, faded grey, lume monster variants)

  • Bracelet or rubber strap configurations

  • Vintage-style vs tool-forward references depending on whether you're more desk diver or actual diver

  • Collabs with French military and specialty dive units

Everything is built in France and Switzerland, tested to real-world dive standards, and comes with a design language that’s equal parts utilitarian and unmistakably ZRC.

Fed’s Take

ZRC is the kind of watch brand I love handing to someone — just to watch their face shift from “what is this?” to “oh… wait… this is awesome.”

I’ve sold GF300s to hardcore dive watch guys and seen them ditch their Seamaster the next week. I’ve worn one into the ocean, onto a boat, and straight to dinner without skipping a beat. And yes, the 6 o’clock crown takes a second to get used to — but then it makes perfect sense.

This is a real tool watch. One with history, utility, and guts.

And the fact that 90% of the watch world still doesn’t know about it?
 Even better.

Weird Crown. Military Pedigree. Dive Watch Perfection.

If you’re ready for a diver that doesn’t follow the rules — because it wrote its own book back in the ‘60s —
 ZRC is the best dive watch brand you’ve never owned.

Delray Watch occasionally sources ZRC watches — especially Grands Fonds 300 and French Navy editions.

Check out our current inventory below and remember if you have a ZRC you’re ready to sell or trade – reach out. We’re always buying.

To be the first to know when new ZRC watches are available - subscribe for insider access here