ZRC Grands Fonds 300 [Underwater Ops TEST]

The ZRC GF 300 has recently undergone a series of operational tests with the French Navy Mine Clearance Group on June the 20th and 21st 2017 when it was put through its paces.



ZRC was commissioned by the Mine Clearance Group of the Mediterranean Sea to test the ZRC Grands Fonds 300 diver’s watch under real live operational conditions.



The French Navy choose to dive on the famous ship wreck the, ARIANE, a former French Naval submarine sunk in the Saint-Mandrier CAP.



Thanks to the Commander in Chief of the Dive School, ZRC were able to organize a comprehensive test on the wreck of sunken submarine while checking the operational quality of the ZRC GF300 under water.



Accompanied by 2 French Navy Mine Clearance Divers from the GPD, ZRC engineers dove for more than an hour on the wreck running various tests on their ZRC diver’s watches.


Areas such as: bezel control, luminescence capacity, and readability were among those that were scrutinized by the team. As you might expect, the GF 300 sailed through, passing all the tests.



On 21st the watch was officially introduced to the crewmen of the Mine Clearance Group as well as the Combat Divers who commissioned a Limited Edition production series of the GF 300 due for release in May 2018.



Here’s a little about the Arian which was built in Cherbourg in 1955. It was officially launched the 12th Sept 1958 with a hull N° Q240.



It went operational on 27th of March 1959 and remained in service until the 26th of March 1981 and was subsequently disarmed on 1st of April 1961 after sailing 161 000 nautical miles and diving for some 29, 500 hours.



In 1985 after having been cleaned from all pollutants it was sunk close to the Saint-Mandrier Cap at a depth of 33 meters after a depth charge test.



Photographic credit: Emmanuel DONFUT – BALAO.