The must-have Macro Loupe for all watch lovers

Iconic watch art prints. Made in Switzerland, lifetime guarantee

Aurore, a watch brand I was relatively unfamiliar with until I stumbled upon this little mechanical timer several years ago on eBay for a pittance. It's in pretty good condition and works well. Its use for me is more symbolic, but I use it, for example, to cook eggs or pasta. All in all, a simple little gadget.

A vintage chronograph for the home

Small chronograph bought on the net a few years ago, I was seduced by its vintage dial and its original telemetric scale compared to all the tachymetric scales found on most chronographs. Rose gold Arabic numerals, a signed buckle strap and a vintage typography. From a distance, the illusion works. You can easily change the strap on a standard 20mm. A good little watch not too wide (40mm) even if 38 would suit it better for the classic side. All that for a good hundred euros on sale. Enough to treat yourself without breaking the bank.

New vintage chronograph

This morning I was tidying up my old watches and stumbled upon the first watch I ever gave my wife in 1996: a small, very classic Yema quartz that, unfortunately, hadn't worked for a long time. I tried a new battery again; the second hand worked for a few moments and then stopped. I thought a blast with a demagnetizer might revive it, and lo and behold: the watch finally came back to life after 20 years sleeping in a box.

I figured I must have a strap somewhere, and voilà, problem solved.
My wife said, "What's this watch?"
"Actually, it's yours!!" "So, this is a good opportunity to post a review: let's be clear, it's not a Yema from its heyday, but it's nice to breathe new life into a watch I gave as a gift when I was just a student... As for the watch itself: gold case, mass-produced quartz movement, Roman numerals—very classic for a time when I wasn't particularly interested in watchmaking... things change."

Yema: résurection!

March LA B, a fairly confidential watch brand at the time I bought this watch directly on rue Charlot, their first boutique. At the time, it was not primarily attractive for its design and the very 70s universe (retro objects, body-built Mustang Shelby, sofas that Henri Verneuil's films would not disown). In short, a whole shopping experience, as they say in good maketeux. After this moment with Mr Marhic himself, what's left? A few negative points of reliability quickly resolved, but above all a beautiful emotion when I put it on my wrist. Attention to detail: the shape of the case, the green date in "march" on a black disc (discreet), screw-down crown (not on the new AM2s) well worked. Clearly, we pay for the visual rendering. Ronda quartz caliber. At least I had Swiss before its time. Of course, "made in France" on a two-tone black dial. A brand that I have been following for almost 10 years. Certainly a bit expensive in recent years compared to the calibers on board but with the G100 we are entering a new era. If you are looking for a strong and distinctive design, these watches are made for you.

The March of Time

I bought this speedmaster triple date a bit by chance during a sale at the municipal credit. A hesitation in the room and hop the beauty is mine. A bit capricious all the same, I had to have it serviced a year after the purchase. Very comfortable to wear, I like its dial with these 2 windows and its pointer date. A rather chic speedmaster but with questionable readability (with a black dial it's better I think). It's better to have a winder if you don't want to spend your time adjusting it. In the end it's a change from a speed pro and it remains quite original.

A speedmaster on a misunderstanding

Already the 4th Bulova that I buy. After having bought a modern military equipped with high frequency quartz, I told myself that I needed a real "tuning fork". It is done. The movement of the second hand on the dial is enjoyable and the noise, or rather the buzzing reminds you that you are in very high watch frequency. I hope that the movement is reliable, we will see in use. In any case a beautiful dress watch with an original case. The Roman numerals bring a very nice classic touch.

High Fidelity

<p dir="ltr">The <strong>IWC</strong> brand was created in <strong>1868</strong> by the American Florentine Ariosto Jones in northeastern Switzerland. He founded a watch factory in Switzerland to supply the American market with quality movements and benefit from the know-how of the Swiss workforce. He settled in the town of Schaffhausen following his meeting with Johann Heinrich Moser, watchmaker and industrialist.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">History of the IWC brand</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Known for its watches in areas such as scuba diving or combat with the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/iwc/aquatimer"> IWC Aquatimer</a>, the house acquired its reputation with watches in the aeronautical sector from 1936. The brand is also recognized in the marine sector with the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/iwc/portugieser"> IWC Portugieser</a> created in 1939 to meet the demand of two Portuguese importers of the brand, Rodrigues and Teixeira.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">How much does an IWC watch cost?</h2>
<p dir="ltr">The prices of new IWC watches change every year, but most IWC models cost between CHF 8,000 and CHF 12,000. For example, a<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/iwc/ingenieur/review/65952649c78129179ad4037b"> IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40</a>, a reissue of the famous IWC Ingenieur SL designed by Gerald Genta, is sold for CHF 12,000, while an IWC Perpetual Calendar in Ceratanium costs CHF 53,000. IWC also offers models in precious materials and set with diamonds for a more feminine clientele.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">IWC: Much more than aviator watches</h2>
<p dir="ltr">IWC is owned by the Richemont group as<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/panerai"> Panerai</a>,<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/vacheron_constantin"> Vacheron Constantin</a>,<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/cartier"> Cartier</a> and produces around 150,000 watches per year, all models combined. To choose an IWC that suits you best, Dialicious owners' reviews are a valuable resource for evaluating each of the different models through real customer experience.</p>
<p dir="ltr">(Updated January 2024)</p>

Portofino, a chic destination on the Italian Riviera. It breathes the Dolce Vita all that!!!
This watch has a special place in my collection.
First, because it's an IWC.
And then above all, because it's my engagement watch :-)
And this manufacturer deserves praise in many ways. It knew how to reinvent itself after the crisis of the 70s linked to the arrival of Quartz.
And for that, it bet on its classics and its timeless pieces. In short, the Portofino and the Portuguese.
Sober design, ultra classic some would say, contained diameter of 36 mm on this example ref 3513 (Today exists in 40mm) which allows it to be worn by both Monsieur and Madame.
It is elegance incarnate.
I love to wear it with a beautiful three-piece suit and a shirt with musketeer cuffs.
Round watch with straight horns, simple dials with classic indexes and hands, it's the assurance of not making a mistake.
For me, a superb alternative to the Piaget Altiplano in the "Dress watch" category.

IWC Portofino 3513

<p><strong>ZRC</strong> est une maison horlog&egrave;re fond&eacute;e en <strong>1904</strong> &agrave; Gen&egrave;ve (Suisse) par Edmond Zuccolo et Joseph Rochet. N&eacute;e dans l&rsquo;univers des cha&icirc;nes de gousset puis des bracelets m&eacute;talliques extensibles, la marque s&rsquo;adresse aujourd&rsquo;hui aux amateurs de plongeuses-outils iconiques, rendue c&eacute;l&egrave;bre par sa Grands Fonds d&eacute;velopp&eacute;e pour la Marine nationale &agrave; partir des ann&eacute;es 1960.</p>
<h3>Couronne &agrave; 6 h, bo&icirc;tier monobloc et esprit Marine nationale</h3>
<p>Con&ccedil;ue pour r&eacute;pondre aux contraintes op&eacute;rationnelles des plongeurs-d&eacute;mineurs fran&ccedil;ais, la Grands Fonds adopte la couronne &agrave; 6 h, un bo&icirc;tier monobloc et des solutions maison comme l&rsquo;ECS (Easy Clean System) et le CPS (Crown Protection System). <strong>Dans la pratique, la couronne &agrave; 6 h et le CPS emp&ecirc;chent de porter la montre si la couronne n&rsquo;est pas parfaitement viss&eacute;e</strong>, limitant ainsi les risques d&rsquo;erreur avant immersion ; l&rsquo;ECS facilite le rin&ccedil;age pour &eacute;viter la cristallisation du sel sous la lunette.</p>
<h3>Grands Fonds et d&eacute;clinaisons contemporaines</h3>
<p>La collection actuelle d&eacute;cline l&rsquo;ADN historique (lisibilit&eacute;, ergonomie de terrain, silhouette &laquo; outil &raquo;) en plusieurs tailles et niveaux de performance. <strong>Quel que soit le mod&egrave;le, l&rsquo;architecture et la signature &agrave; 6 h rendent la lecture imm&eacute;diate et l&rsquo;identit&eacute; instantan&eacute;ment reconnaissable</strong>.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>ZRC Grands Fonds MN64 </strong>&mdash; Hommage aux sp&eacute;cifications Marine nationale, codes historiques de cadran et de lunette.</li>
<li><strong>ZRC Grands Fonds Heritage</strong>&nbsp;&mdash; Gabarit plus contenu (38 mm) conservant la signature de couronne &agrave; 6 h pour les poignets fins.</li>
<li><strong>ZRC Securicode</strong> &mdash; R&eacute;interpr&eacute;tation d&rsquo;un th&egrave;me de la fin des ann&eacute;es 1950/1960, avec &eacute;l&eacute;ments de style historiques.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Positionnement : outil pro, prix et distribution</h3>
<p>La marque revendique un positionnement &laquo; instrument de plong&eacute;e &raquo; au sein de l&rsquo;horlogerie ind&eacute;pendante suisse, avec volumes de production <em>non communiqu&eacute;</em> et diffusion s&eacute;lective (d&eacute;taillants sp&eacute;cialis&eacute;s et vente directe). <strong>&Agrave; titre indicatif, de nombreuses r&eacute;f&eacute;rences acier se situent autour de 2 500&ndash;3 000 &euro;, tandis que des versions techniques en titane d&eacute;passent 4 000 &euro;</strong> ; certaines &eacute;ditions sp&eacute;ciales ou m&eacute;taux nobles s&rsquo;&eacute;tablissent nettement au-del&agrave;. Pr&eacute;sence confirm&eacute;e en France avec des &eacute;taillants comme <a href="https://www.bijouterie-clouzeau.fr/fr/marques/zrc-1904">Clouzeau</a> ou <a href="https://www.berenger.fr/fr/horlogerie-berenger/marques/zrc-1904">Berenger</a>, et sur quelques march&eacute;s Asie/Moyen-Orient via un r&eacute;seau resserr&eacute;.</p>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p><strong>ZRC s&rsquo;adresse aux amateurs de montres-outils au style imm&eacute;diatement identifiable</strong>, qui privil&eacute;gient la fonctionnalit&eacute;, la lisibilit&eacute; et une signature de design forte. Le choix se fera entre un usage polyvalent quotidien (Grands Fonds 300/38), une filiation historique appuy&eacute;e (MN64, Securicode) ou une approche plus technique et extr&ecirc;me (Grands Fonds 3000 Titanium). Les acheteurs sensibles &agrave; l&rsquo;ergonomie appr&eacute;cieront la couronne &agrave; 6 h et la s&eacute;curit&eacute; du CPS ; les puristes salueront la coh&eacute;rence d&rsquo;ensemble. Pour &eacute;clairer votre d&eacute;cision au-del&agrave; de la fiche technique, fiez-vous&nbsp;<strong>aux avis clients Dialicious</strong>, utiles pour comprendre confort, lisibilit&eacute; r&eacute;elle et ressenti au port&eacute;.</p>
<p>(Mise &agrave; jour Ao&ucirc;t 2025)</p>

<p><strong>ZRC</strong> is a watch brand founded in <strong>1904</strong> in Geneva, Switzerland, by Edmond Zuccolo and Joseph Rochet. Born in the field of pocket-watch chains and later expandable metal bracelets, the brand now caters to enthusiasts of iconic tool divers, made famous by its Grands Fonds developed for the French Navy from the 1960s onward.</p>
<h3>6 o&rsquo;clock crown, monobloc case and French Navy spirit</h3>
<p>Engineered to meet the operational demands of French Navy mine-clearance divers, the Grands Fonds features a 6 o&rsquo;clock crown, a monobloc case and in-house solutions such as ECS (Easy Clean System) and CPS (Crown Protection System). <strong>In practice, the 6 o&rsquo;clock crown and CPS prevent the watch from being worn unless the crown is fully screwed down</strong>, reducing user error prior to immersion; ECS helps flush out salt to prevent crystallization under the bezel.</p>
<h3>Grands Fonds and contemporary variants</h3>
<p>The current collection translates the historical DNA (legibility, field ergonomics, tool-watch silhouette) into multiple sizes and performance levels. <strong>Whichever the model, the 6 o&rsquo;clock signature ensures instant readability and an immediately recognisable identity</strong>.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>ZRC Grands Fonds MN64</strong> &mdash; Core diver inspired by 1964, 300 m, bold legibility for versatile daily wear.</li>
<li><strong>ZRC Grands Fonds Hertiage</strong> &mdash; Smaller 38 mm option retaining the 6 o&rsquo;clock crown signature for slimmer wrists.</li>
<li><strong>ZRC Securicode</strong> &mdash; Reinterpretation of a late-1950s/1960s theme with historical design elements.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Positioning: pro tool, pricing and distribution</h3>
<p>The brand&rsquo;s stance is that of an independent Swiss &ldquo;diving instrument,&rdquo; with production volumes <em>not disclosed</em> and selective distribution (specialist retailers and direct sales). <strong>As a guide, many steel references sit around &euro;2,500&ndash;3,000, while technical titanium pieces exceed &euro;4,000</strong>; special editions or precious-metal variants are significantly higher. Presence is established in Europe such as <a href="https://www.soprana.com/zrc-1904/?lang=en">Soprana</a> in Italy or <a href="https://junod-lausanne.ch/fr/collections/zrc">Junod</a> in Switzerland, and selected Asian/Middle-Eastern markets through a tight retail network.</p>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>ZRC speaks to those who value immediately recognisable tool-watch design with functional clarity and a strong signature. Your choice will likely fall between versatile daily wear (Grands Fonds 300/38), an emphatic historical link (MN64, Securicode), or a more technical, extreme approach (Grands Fonds 3000 Titanium). Ergonomics benefit from the 6 o&rsquo;clock crown and CPS safety; purists will appreciate the overall coherence. To refine your decision beyond the spec sheet, rely on <strong>Dialicious customer reviews</strong> to understand comfort, real-world legibility and on-wrist feel.</p>
<p>(Updated August 2025)</p>

This IWC R1210 is the first watch I bought for myself at auction. It is the dresswatch par excellence: thin, 33mm even if it seems larger, beautifully made alligator strap (I haven't changed it because it is so beautiful). Yellow gold case, an immaculate dial (I even wonder if it hasn't been redone because it is so clean). The caliber is a mechanical 401 that works very well. For the moment I haven't needed to service it. I wear it very little because it is still a fairly old watch and not suitable for everyday life. The model also exists in steel if some people don't like yellow gold. At the time I found it for over €1000 at the hammer, but I don't really know its value.

Crocket92's review on his IWC Portofino

IWC R1210, but Calatrava to me!

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Other reviews published by Crocket92

Aurore

William L. 1985
Vintage Style Chronograph

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March LA.B
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