It was in 2004, during a meeting between former French Navy watchmaker Yves Pastres and Georges Brunet, that the foundations of ECS® began to take shape. From this discussion emerged a widely shared field observation: the frequent replacement of dive watch bezels, across all brands, exposed to the extreme conditions of saline environments. Despite technical progress, no manufacturer had succeeded at the time in achieving durable protection against wear, salt deposits, and the repeated mechanical stresses affecting rotating bezels.
Nearly ten years later, Georges Brunet developed a structured response to this issue. Inspired in part by a scene from the film Das Boot, he challenged the traditional approach of absolute water-resistance. Instead of attempting to fully isolate the watch from its environment, he envisioned the opposite principle: enabling a controlled circulation of fluids in order to limit stagnation and salt deposit build-up, while allowing fresh water to flow through and naturally rinse exposed areas.
This concept led to the creation of ECS®, a worldwide patent whose development and validation required nearly eight years of research. Designed to work with exposure rather than against it, the system promotes the natural rinsing of components subjected to harsh environments and significantly reduces wear on mechanical interfaces, particularly at the level of rotating bezels.
ECS® thus introduces a conceptual breakthrough in the world of dive watches: no longer a static barrier against the external environment, but a controlled and dynamic interaction with it, engineered for long-term durability.
From this innovation stems a promise that ZRC makes to its clients: to remain constantly at the forefront of horological research. Backed by a recognized expertise in the development of super-water-resistant cases since the 1920s, the brand continues to uphold a unique know-how shaped by more than a century of engineering dedicated to extreme water-resistance. This ongoing commitment results in ever more accomplished timepieces, where mechanical precision is combined with refined aesthetics, delivering watches that are more beautiful, more reliable, and more high-performing.
Easy Clean System
Patent n°1462496
The ECS® is a technical solution developed in response to a real-world issue observed by French Navy mine clearance divers during their repeated dives: salt crystallization forming in the spaces between the bezel and the case, eventually hindering bezel rotation.
On the occasion of the 2015 reissue of the Grands Fonds 300®, ZRC® developed and patented an innovative functional solution. ECS® was born.
This exclusive system is based on a unique principle: the circulation of fresh water inside the bezel, allowing for the gradual dilution and evacuation of sea salt deposits. Far more than a technical innovation, ECS® stands as a contemporary tribute to the original Grands Fonds® and is fully aligned with the brand’s DNA: designing timepieces made to perform in the most demanding environments, without compromise on reliability.
