On the occasion of the unveiling of the 2023 editions, Georges Brunet, CEO of ZRC, reflects on the brand’s dynamism.
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.
