ZRC Grands Fonds 300 Owner Review : Surgical, efficient and different

For my 50th birthday in 2022, I was planning to buy my watch Grail, a very high-end diver (…), but the vicissitudes of life forced me to postpone this project. So it was a bit gloomy, during a walk in the West of my island (Reunion), that I decided, curious, to visit my local AD. Keen on aquatic activities, my attention turned to the ZRC Grands Fonds 300. It had just arrived and although, already on my radar; I had never had the opportunity to try it. And there, I put it on my wrist, and as a certain Xavier would say: I crack! Love at first sight was immediate. Black dial, 3 hands without date, the crown at 6 o'clock, satin-finished case, non-magnetic steel: simple, sober, efficient, balanced. 41.5mm of perfection! The readability is exceptional, probably its anti-reflective treatment; the black of the dial seems deep and the magnum indexes and hands stand out powerfully. The sapphire seems invisible. Later, I will also note that the lume is beyond comparison. Even that of my Panerai Luminor lasts less long… For the divers' bracelets, my preference goes to rubber. But for this model, in my opinion, the metal bracelet gives it a real personality. First, it is particularly well integrated, and a triangular screw securely binds it to the case. Then, it adjusts thanks to a spring system embedded in the mass. Finally, the largely openworked links give it a unique look. Be careful, under a versatile appearance, this is still a radical watch: "made by divers, for divers". Thus, the safety clasp, exclusive to ZRC, seems extremely reliable, but is also delicate to handle. Same for the double waterproof screw-down crown with reverse thread. I use it as an all-terrain watch, but against all expectations, it is perceived by those around me as a luxury watch. The Submariner effect? It is true that certain details, such as the polishing of the beveled edges of the satin-finished case, bring it closer to models from other brands, sold more expensively... This watch achieves the feat of meeting all the standards of diving watches, but with a clear difference.