AFRAID OF NOTHING
The new colossal watch cut out for exploring the abyss, designed by the Geneva-based brand, withstands immersions down to depths of 5,000 m without the need for a helium escape valve, as such making it a world first.
This new shark to wrap round the wrist, baptized Grands Fonds 3000, imagined by ZRC and forever true to the one-of-a-kind silhouette of its elder sibling Grands Fonds 300 (or GF300 for those in the know) developed back in 1958 and adopted by the French National Navy in 1964, flaunts its audacious personality and its simple yet formidable performance clearly.
Simple because this Grands Fonds 3000 embraces the features which made the Geneva brand such a success and are a pledge to its waterproofness as well as its durability, like the ECSTM (Easy Clean System) which cleans the inside of the bezel by enabling fresh water to flow freely and the Crown Protection System which ensures the crown is totally screwed.
Formidable because this version boosted with technical state-of-the-artness, in particular incredible precision-machining which enables all the elements to compress together, as such inhibiting gas molecules from penetrating, showcases a 42 mm-diameter titanium case topped with a bezel boasting a blue ceramic ring. Its steel caseback, equipped with a double seal and clamp ring, resists pressure and absorbs warping. Thanks to these innovations which ensure it is waterproof to depths of 5,000 m, the Grands Fonds 3000 is the first watch in the world capable of withstanding such immersions, without a helium escape valve and with a thickness of less than 20 mm.
The automatic Sellita SW200-1 caliber drives the hour, minute and second displays on the blue gradient-toned dial, through luminescent magnum-style hands and a “lollipop” direct-drive.
Price: CHF3,990 (titanium) – CHF4,490 (black DLC titanium) www.shop.zrc1904.ch
By Sharmila Bertin