What if choosing a dive watch was more than just a simple purchase? Some watches transcend their function, being laden with history and heritage. ZRC watches are among those rare objects that you desire, dreaming of wearing them on your wrist. Meet Georges Brunet, the current head of the brand, who opens the doors to his family history, a perfect quest for balance between tradition and innovation for four generations.
A passion passed down from generation to generation
Georges Brunet knows his watches like the back of his hand. He details every feature, recounts their origins, the challenges overcome. His passion is infectious, one understands that he loves them deeply. More than a century and four generations were needed to shape the image of ZRC, a brand revealed to the diving world thanks to its iconic model: the « Grands Fonds ».
The Genevan origins: much more than chains
The adventure begins in 1904 with the partnership of Edmond Zuccolo and Joseph Rochet. The former was a workshop manager, the latter his first worker. In 1909, upon opening the commercial register in Geneva, the company received the number 52, a symbol of its pioneering role! At the time, they manufactured chains for pocket watches in malleable metals: gold, silver, brass. They also created jewelry.
Facing the constraints of the First World War, they innovated by designing the first claw bracelet to wear watches on the wrist, marking the beginning of a long series of innovations. In 1917, they became world leaders in the expandable bracelet. However, watch production would only intervene later, focusing on chains, bracelets, and cases until the late 1950s.
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