The Nivada Grenchen Chronosport begins shipping in November, 2024.
The Nivada Grenchen Chronosport was a bold vision of what a sports chronograph could be in the 1970s. A tool watch that was ahead of its time, from its bold case to its unique dial, it truly stands out as special. The only problem is that only 10 were ever made—until now. Nivada Grenchen has brought this mythical watch back and kept all of its distinct personality.
The dial of the Chronosport is eye-catching with its atypical sub-dial layout and coloring. Rather than the standard 3-9 or 12-6-9 positioning, the Chronosport features sub-dials at 9 and 12 for the active seconds and 30-minute totalizer, respectively. They are also an attractive dark khaki, which complements the otherwise matte black dial, and feature very specific typography and index design best known for its use in the Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona. Printed markers, and a date at three round out the design. For the reissue, the Chronosport is available with white or “vintage” colored lume.
The dial is only part of the fun, however, as the Chronosport also features a 38mm, 200m stainless steel barrel case with an especially rugged design. Tank-like in its proportions, large polished bevels add refinement. A rotating dual-purpose bezel sits on top, giving both a 60-minute/second and hour index, the latter of which is great for tracking a second timezone while traveling. It comes mounted to a brushed steel three-link bracelet with flat links, which adds to its aggressive demeanor.
Powering the Chronosport is the venerable Valjoux 7750, modified to have a two-sub-dial layout. A Swiss-made automatic chronograph first released in the 1970s, the Valjoux 7750 features hand-winding, hacking, date, 48 hour power reserve, 25-jewels, and a frequency of 28,800 bph.
- Case: Brushed and Polished Stainless Steel
- Dial: Black and Tan (White Lume)
- Bezel: Unidirectional Aluminum
- Movement: Swiss-Made Valjoux-7750-ETA
- Winding: Automatic
- Complications: Date, Chronograph
- Lens: Double Domed Sapphire
- Straps: 3-Link Top (Brushed) Sides (Polished) Bracelet (20x16mm)
- Water Res.: 20 ATM
- Diameter: 38mm
- Length: 44.3mm
- Thickness: 12.7 without glass (15.7 with glass)
- Lug Width: 20mm
- Warranty: 24 months
- Case: Brushed and Polished Stainless Steel
- Dial: Black and Tan (Yellow Lume)
- Bezel: Unidirectional Aluminum
- Movement: Swiss-Made Valjoux-7750-ETA
- Winding: Automatic
- Complications: Date, Chronograph
- Lens: Double Domed Sapphire
- Straps: 3-Link Top (Brushed) Sides (Polished) Bracelet (20x16mm)
- Water Res.: 20 ATM
- Diameter: 38mm
- Length: 44.3mm
- Thickness: 12.7 without glass (15.7 with glass)
- Lug Width: 20mm
- Warranty: 24 months
Nivada Grenchen timepieces have been in the watchmaking industry since 1926, the year when Jacob Schneider first created it in Granges (Grenchen). In 1976, his son Max took over the business. In the United States of America (USA), the Croton Company distributed all Nivada Grenchen watches. The timepieces can have either the Nivada Grenchen or Croton signature, or both.
In 1930, Nivada Grenchen was one of the first companies to manufacture automatic watches. This led to the creation of Nivada Grenchen’s first waterproof automatic watch called the Antarctic in 1950. The watch was worn by the members of the American Navy’s Deep Freeze 1 during their expedition to the South Pole from 1955 to 1956.