RzR Tecorón, an Affordable Watch Almost Entirely Made of Carbon Fibre

When a watch debuts with an unusual material, such as ceramic, titanium or even sapphire crystal, a relatively high price usually reflects the rarity and increased manufacturing difficulty (and, of course, marketing prowess). RzR Watches is bucking the trend with an affordable piece comprised of 80% carbon fibre, a lightweight and durable material that’s five times less dense than stainless steel. This kind of development is usually associated with established brands with deep pockets (think Richard Mille, Bvlgari or AP), but founder Ricardo Zamora Rojas has spent the last four years working with production partners to bring the RzR Tecorón to market at fraction of the price. His new watches now hit Kickstarter.

Born in the Canary Islands, Spain, Ricardo moved to the UK in 2014 with a newly earned mechanical engineering degree. After spending the last four years developing the RzR Tecorón, he returned home to the Canary Islands to bring his vision to fruition. The company’s name, RzR, comes from Ricardo’s initials – Ricardo Zamora Rojas. The watch is named after Tecorón, a beach in the Canary Islands (El Hierro) where his father is from. The case has an unusual hexagonal shape, which wasn’t inspired by anything specific. As Ricardo puts it, the hexagon is his favourite shape, six is his favourite number and the atomic number of carbon fibre is six – hence a six-sided watch. 

The case is entirely made from carbon fibre with a 42.9mm width, 49mm length and height of 10.6mm. Carbon Fibre is usually associated with performance cars, but its strength and lightweight properties are utilized for many more applications. In fact, the strongest carbon fibre is 10 times stronger than steel and a fraction of the weight. The RzR Tecorón weighs only 44 grams with the bracelet (40 grams with a leather strap). The case, caseback, movement ring, outside of the crown, bracelet and clasp are all carbon fibre, making this the first watch with such a high percentage of the material. The crown at 2 o’clock is also hexagonal (carbon fibre over steel) and the caseback is secured with six screws. There’s a sapphire exhibition window showcasing the Miyota automatic and a sapphire crystal on the front. 

There are two different RzR Tecorón models launching, differentiated by the dial. The Lines edition features a grey dial with a cutout from 3 to 6 o’clock, revealing part of the movement with a shape inspired by the McLaren P1 and Lamborghini Sesto Elemento. The Horis Magnas edition has a blue dial with applied Arabic numerals in an angular font (the 0 on 10 is a hexagon, for example). 

The movement is a Miyota 90s5 automatic with 24 jewels, 28,800vph (4Hz) and a 42-hour power reserve. The calibre is decorated with Côtes de Genève on the back and perlage on the front (visible on the Lines edition). This Japanese workhorse is inexpensive yet reliable and serviceable, and a popular option for new brands trying to keep overall costs down. Accuracy is rated at -10/+30 seconds per day. 

The 22mm bracelet and clasp are solid carbon fibre with an optional leather strap with a carbon fibre buckle. This was the most challenging component to develop and the Tecorón is the first watch to feature such a carbon bracelet/clasp (most carbon bracelets features titanium or steel clasps).

The Kickstarter price starts at EUR 828 for the earliest pre-orders with a future retail price of EUR 1,200. The campaign lasts for 30 days with deliveries expected in May 2020. For more information, visit the RzR Tecorón Kickstarter page and website.