The must-have Macro Loupe for all watch lovers

Iconic watch art prints. Made in Switzerland, lifetime guarantee

Piotr Winiarski began making watches out of passion, to create pieces very different from what is usually found and to revive vintage movements. He makes many "marriage" models, combining a new open-back case with a restored vintage movement and dials that fulfill his clients' wildest desires. At one point, to acquire new equipment, he launched a Kickstarter campaign offering to create a completely bespoke watch.

I find this to be a very good exercise because it allows you to see what you have in mind and how well you can explain it to a Polish artist so that it corresponds to what he is capable of creating. And so that the final result is more or less in line with what you dream of.

What populates my imagination isn't Big Ben, nor the chimes of plush drawing rooms, or the opulent wristwatches of organized crime bosses, the horological extravagances of elite athletes, or the financial rewards of social media influencers. No, it's sundials under the sun of the Alps of Haute-Provence, the Alpilles, or the Luberon. It's the pastel colors on the wall and their philosophical motto. It's the powerful sun bringing out the intense colors, like in Van Gogh's paintings in the Arles region. The slow movement of the gnomon's shadow in a trigonometric direction—counterclockwise. It's the hour moving silently across the dial and disappearing with the clouds or the night. This is the local time and the time of day, to which must be added the mean time correction based on the sun's figure-eight curve, and the correction of local time relative to German time, which governs our time, and possibly the adjustment for daylight saving time.

So, of course, I have watches that follow this solar rhythm. I have the fantastic Louis Jensol by Jean Louis Moulard, and the inimitable Yes Watch V7 by Bjørn Kartomten. But I dreamed of something less of a "tool watch" and more artistic, where you could almost smell the lavender, hear the cicadas singing, or expect to see butterflies fluttering on thyme blossoms in the hills, lizards scurrying across the rocks, the wind rustling the poppies. In short, something more impressionistic.

My brief was precisely that: to evoke the feeling of Provençal sunshine. I initially envisioned a 24-hour movement with a divided dial: the lower half for daytime, perhaps an old olive tree in the hills or a field of sunflowers in bloom under the sun, and the upper half a deep sky with the Milky Way (the Camino de Santiago, as they say). The idea was to separate the day and night zones, using the extreme sunrise and sunset times for the city of Arles, and create an intermediate zone to represent the difference between summer and winter. Then, to simplify the project, we opted for a GMT movement and cut the division at 6-6 o'clock. The idea of the deep sky evolved into a last crescent moon at dawn, a reference to Van Gogh's painting of the starry sky over the city and the cypress trees, removing the depressing city and cypresses and replacing them with daytime suns. Suns reflecting the stars of the night, and sunflowers bathed in light, turning almost poppy red. It was completely wild. I loved it. The GMT hand, representing the sun, traverses this fantastical landscape throughout the day with long rays. To match this sunlit atmosphere, the case is bronze and measures 43mm without the crown. The hands are very legible despite the colorful dial. Overall, it's quite well done. The case back isn't open because it houses a contemporary Japanese movement, not a vintage one, to achieve the GMT function. Instead, a sundial motto, "Carpe lucis horas" (Seize the day), is engraved on the back. The watch comes on a thick leather strap, but I often wear it on a Vario NATO strap when it's warm.

It arrives in a practical branded gift box and is packaged in a bag reproducing the Van Gogh painting that inspired the dial. A thoughtful touch for a watch that took much longer than expected to complete.

I highly recommend the work of Piotr Winiarski, who creates watches that inspire dreams when you wear them, but especially when you imagine them and discuss each design choice with him. He sometimes launches Kickstarter campaigns. Participate; the result is unlike anything you find in stores.

The music I would associate with this watch is "Le soleil" by Elysium. Because this watch truly is a ray of sunshine on your wrist, reminding you of the Provençal sun wherever you are, even in the grayness or the blues. Even in the depths of gloom, in times of failure, when nothing seems to be going right, you can bounce back, rediscover your enthusiasm, and then you'll see the Milky Way under a clear Provençal sky, or the sun illuminating the colors like never before.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=7ft0gDemaHg

A ray of sunshine from Provence on your wrist

I don't often wear this 1950s watch. While it's perfectly legible and evokes a bygone era, it seems a bit fragile, and the syringe-like hands make the Geiger counter click.
The Pobeda logo appears to be fading with age, while the numerals and minute track remain clearly visible. Moreover, the 6, below the small seconds subdial, is perfectly legible, whereas on many models it's hidden to make more room for the seconds hand.

It was produced by the first watch factory in Moscow, at a time when numerous factories across the country were manufacturing watches under the Pobeda brand. This isn't indicated on the dial but on the movement. The case is chrome-plated brass with a simple snap-on case back. The movement is a 32TchéN, produced in the third quarter of 1953 in Moscow, and has 15 jewels. This watch reminds me of a masterful interpretation of Rachmaninoff: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=5gyXRp6XV9s

Pobeda 1st Moscow Factory with luminous syringe needles

Batavi is a small, Dutch micro-brand that offers comfortable watches.

This mechanical chronograph combines several qualities: it's both classically elegant and features relaxed, summery colors. It boasts compact dimensions (38 mm in diameter with a thickness that's not immediately apparent but is still 13.5 mm) and is accessible, as it's assembled in France. The retail price is €699, and it was originally offered as a pre-order with a discount.

This watch is equipped with a Seagull ST1901 hand-wound movement, visible through the open case back. The movement's main advantage is its affordability while also being quite attractive, featuring engraved Geneva stripes and colored screws.

It comes with a metal bracelet, but I prefer a Vario leather strap that matches the blue of the hands. These syringe-shaped hands are particularly well-designed, combining precision and legibility. The metal bracelet makes sense since it's more of a summer watch given its range of colors, but personally I prefer wearing it on a Vario leather strap. We'll see if rubber or a NATO strap doesn't suit it better in the end.

At launch, the watch was released with a fragrance, an interesting initiative, but I can't comment on the relevance of the association since the fragrance was no longer available when I bought it. Ultimately, the idea of associating a watch with another object that engages other senses is a good one and perfectly legitimate. The ST1901 movement is naturally associated with a sound, a three-Hertz beat; you can hear it when you close your eyes. It's slower than a 4 Hz movement, still a bit fast, but it's already close to the most soothing frequency in the animal kingdom.

With this watch, I'll be listening to the oceanic rock of Agamemnonz:
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=R1WXGet2A9Q&list=OLAK5uy_mmgGRN0qwWlJuWxudQe1aYjdGxs23bQa0



A summer chronograph bursting with freshness

Savonnette pocket watches are no longer very fashionable, although Tissot still offers them in its catalog. They do, however, have the advantage of offering a different relationship with time. The watch is hidden in a pocket; only the chain is noticeable. When it's taken out, the time remains hidden; you hear the ticking of the mechanism, but only the engravings on the outer faces are visible. Here, we see a capercaillie on one side and conifer branches on the other. Presumably, this is meant to appeal to the soul of the hunter or the skier, who is then reminded of their best memories in nature. To read the time, you must take the watch in your hand, press the crown button at three o'clock, and let the cover open. The time is then very legible: two large black baton hands indicate the hour and minutes. The seconds are displayed in small print at 9 o'clock. The decorative inner cover features a rosette motif, but it's clear the engraving could be personal or contain a cherished photograph of the watch's wearer. A secret revealed only when the time is checked. Therefore, it's no longer "a watch" on display, but a "timepiece" or "timekeeper" that unveils a secret when opened. Essentially, it's a pocket watch, the antithesis of a flashy Royal Pop.
The watch can be left open on a table, or closed and slipped into a pocket. The time disappears, leaving only a faint metallic scent on the skin. It's a different experience.

The soundtrack I would associate with this watch, evoking wide-open spaces and the wilderness, is Neil Young's score for the film "Dead Man" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkG7P8i64x8

Secret and wild

The Return of Abstraction and the Four Pillars of Light

This "Spectrum" watch is conceived as a design that returns to symmetry, one might even say double symmetry (top to bottom and left to right), while the current trend is to make asymmetry fashionable. The idea is also to create a watch based on light and its spectral decomposition, but not through a direct approach that would show a white beam decomposed into a continuous spectrum (like the excellent cover of Pink Floyd's album). No, this is an abstract, discontinuous approach. The spectrum is decomposed into primary colors: red, green, blue, or magenta, yellow, and cyan, depending on the system used. And yet, the dial is not divided into thirds, but into four, due to this double symmetry imposed as a manifesto. And then there's the quarter-hour, the most common unit of time in everyday life, far more so than twenty-minute intervals (which form the basis of Raketa's Atom model but are generally quite rare). Even etymologically, the word "cadran" (dial) comes from "quart" (quarter), so it's natural to divide it into four parts. Therefore, we understand that the spectrum is not to be taken literally but figuratively. These four basic colors are the Google logo. They represent access to knowledge, to universal wisdom. But they also represent access to freedom of thought through the philosophical movement of the Enlightenment that emerged in the 18th century. At the dawn of the 21st century, many believe the Enlightenment is "outdated," that Rousseau has fallen into the mire, that D'Alembert is backwards, that Diderot is a lost cause, that Voltaire is a goner... That today, all that matters is artificial intelligence, robots, transhumanism, and the philosophical current of the "dark enlightenment," or neo-reactionary (NRx), as these oligarchs who want to impose their power call it. So let's recall these four pillars, since they occupy the quadrant.

1. Reason: Considered the primary tool for understanding the world, it replaces superstition and blind faith.

2. Liberty: Defense of individual rights, freedom of thought and expression, as well as the critique of absolutism.

3. Tolerance and Freedom of Belief: The fight against religious fanaticism and the promotion of the coexistence of beliefs, championed notably by Voltaire.

4. Equality of Rights: A challenge to the privileges of the nobility and clergy, valuing merit and natural law.

Before these four colors, this humanist declaration of faith, is a grid upon which rests a reflective metal circle. The grid rises from the center of the circle. The hands also have this metallic reflection, but in addition, they have a white center painted with luminescent material for reading the time in the dark. This creates an impression of dazzling light, as if seeing a white light that forces the wearer to squint, like a near-death experience, a luminous tunnel, an intense peace... The strap with its seven rows of rice grains is also highly reflective. Two other discreetly branded rubber straps are included, one black and one orange.

The case is also very elaborate, with lugs that extend dramatically, like four small cartoon characters walking over a precipice and suddenly plummeting. While the case is only 38mm in diameter, the lug-to-lug measurement is 47mm. The case is 11.4mm thick, including a 1.7mm crystal that sits on the watch like an eyepiece on a telescope.

The movement is a Miyota 9015 with a 4Hz frequency and a 42-hour power reserve. A reliable and robust movement. The oscillating weight is customized with the light grid already featured on the dial. This is, of course, a reinterpretation of the ancient solar symbol of the prehistoric swastika. The swastika's use is admittedly very subtle, as it is a symbol, even in its left-handed form, that has been taboo in Western design since the end of Nazism. Yet, it is a universal symbol for humanity. This mass spins like a veritable turbine as soon as it moves even slightly.

Ultimately, it's a highly successful exercise in abstract style for a very simple watch, a three-hand timepiece without any markings or logo. This design borders on the absolute; every detail is deliberate. It embodies the simplicity and absoluteness of white light, broken down into four pillars that have accompanied us since the dawn of light, but also the four arms of the swastika, which has accompanied our perception of sunlight since at least the Neolithic era. In short, it's a manifesto to wear on your wrist to say no to NRx.

The soundtrack for this watch would be Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon," not only for its cover but also for its content, its songs that explore the different elements of the spectrum of human life in a philosophical way.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=FEacDWPWfJU&list=OLAK5uy_lrCrcAdxFG4aMzMrebs7o9TU384xyF240

A daring attempt to reach the absolute

Pobeda's production during the Zim era was highly inventive in terms of design, even if the cases and movements were clearly lagging behind. This watch is reminiscent of a rotary dial telephone, with the numbers you turned to dial a number, and the handset you had to pick up to answer the call. All of this is obsolete today, now that we have smartphones that also tell us the time, but for how much longer? Smart glasses, smart rings, or bionic implants may in turn replace smartphones. Nevertheless, this little Pobeda telephone watch is wonderful for evoking memories of the bygone era of rotary dial telephones. The winding mechanism, with its comfortable grip, evokes the feel and sound of dialing numbers on the phone. The small seconds hand is perfectly integrated into the handset, although slightly off-center.

The case is made of blackened brass with a snap-on back. It measures 28.5mm in diameter and the lug width is designed for a 16mm strap. The movement is a ZIM 2602 with 15 jewels.
The music I'll be listening to with it is "Call Me" by Blondie https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=tykf2xYPNdc

Telephone nostalgia

<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>

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Pobeda 1st Moscow Factory with luminous syringe needles

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