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Dimitri Tsilioris

Introducing the ZK No. 2: An Affordable Approach to Swiss Watchmaking


Rewind the clock back to 2017 in the capital city of Switzerland, Bern. Two friends had just come off the back of a very successful crowdfunding campaign, reaching a very respectable 170% of their target. Fast forward to today, and best friends Roger Zahnd and Florian Kormann are back with their second timepiece, and at the time of writing this they’re about $5,000 off their target goal with just under a month left to go.

So, what is the ZK No. 2? There are two models in the ZK No. 2 collection, an automatic diver’s piece, as well as a GMT model. Both feature the option to add a COSC certified movement, and both are available in a variety of colour palettes, metals and, of course, strap options.

Two versions, both of which are highly functional, highly relevant and are of the upmost demand in today’s market. The diver follows suite the standard look of a diving watch. A solid construction, an easy to read dial, a very wearable persona about it, and a look that allows one to instantly recognise what it’s all about.

The GMT looks very similar to the diver variant, and aside from the added GMT hand and dial markings, you’d be forgiven in thinking that it was the same watch. I like the continuity of the two models, and the consistency between both makes me think that Zahnd & Kormann have a clear idea on what they’re doing and what they’re trying to achieve with the ZK No. 2.

Both models are available in 6 different colour designs. The blue option is quite traditional, the green a bit loud, the black and yellow quite contemporary, the black very typical of a diver’s watch, the white very clean and sophisticated, and the red which is brash, outlandish and requires more than a smidge of confidence to wear.

Beyond the colour options, the potential funder can opt to have their diver or the GMT watch clad in titanium or in stainless-steel, again still allowing the potential purchaser in choosing any of the 6 colour options. All the watches come with either a stainless-steel or a titanium bracelet, along with a NATO strap. Options aplenty! Oh, there is a “Special Series”, too. Check that out, if you’re interested.

I’ve been told that once Zahnd & Kormann’s ZK No. 2 reaches their stretch goal, they’ll release several very funky and very modern iterations primarily focusing on the use of PVD with different colour palettes. Again, so many choices.

The Diver and the GMT have movements that are categorised as either being COSC certified or Elaboré (in other words, non-COSC). Both will feature Côtes de Genève, pearl brushing and blued screws. Both COSC movements are automatic, and both COSC movements are made in Switzerland by Sellita.

Lot’s of interest has already gone into the ZK No. 2, so if you’re interested in getting your hands on one of the most affordable genuine chronometers on the market today, you’d best move quickly and follow the link!

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