In the present research, Ni-W/ZrO2 nanocrystalline composite films have been fabricated via pulse electrodeposition and are characterized. The reinforcing effects of embedded ZrO2 nanoparticles on the properties of the nanocrystalline films are examined. Results indicate that the films have dense and nodular-like morphology. With the increase of ZrO2 concentration, the content of ZrO2 and W slightly increases, but the Ni content slightly decreases. The ZrO2 nanoparticles are uniformly incorporated in the films. The inclusion of ZrO2 reinforcing nanoparticles in the nickel-tungsten matrix could enhance anti-corrosion performance and hardness. The average roughness R-a is in the range of 45 +/- 2 nm to 53 +/- 3 nm. The growth rate is 0.17 and 0.41 mu m/min corresponding to I-av = 2 and 4 A dm(-2), respectively. The composite fabricated at 20-30 g L-1 ZrO2 nanoparticles presents the maximum amount of embedded ZrO2 and fine-grained structure, which has the optimal hardness and anti-corrosion performance.