Ships within 1-2 weeks after placing an order.
Nivada Grenchen was a household name in the mid-century as it manufactured watches of all kinds from the 1920s through the 1970s, and the model that placed them on the map was the Antarctic. Waterproof, durable, and elegant, the Antarctic was chosen as standard issue for the US Navy’s 1955 and 1956 South Pole expeditions, Operation Deep Freeze. This modern reissue of the Antarctic, called Super Antarctic, retains the original’s modest size and robust specifications.
The Super Antarctic’s stainless steel case measures 38mm across, 45mm lug to lug, and 12mm thick, with finishing being a mixture of both brushed and polished. The Dial colors range from a matte black, tobacco brown or white and are decorated with applied stick and triangle hour markers. On some options, you will even find a 3-6-9 version.
While the hour hand is lollipop-styled, it is contrasted with a sword minute hand. There is a chapter ring around the edge of the dial. As for straps, options vary from leather and rubber, to bracelets as well as. And finally, a screw-down crown ensures 10 ATM of water resistance.
Inside the Super Antarctic is the self-winding SOPROD P024, which is based on the ETA-2824. It has 25 jewels, as marked on the dial, beats at 4Hz (28,800 vph), and offers hacking seconds. It can also be hand-wound. The screw-in caseback is decorated with a gold medallion depicting an aircraft during Operation Deep Freeze I.
- Case: 316L Stainless Steel
- Dial: White
- Movement: SOPROD P024
- Complications: Hours, Minutes, Seconds
- Lens: Double Domed Sapphire Glass
- Strap: Beads of Rice Bracelet
- Water Res.: 10 ATM
- Diameter: 38 mm
- Length: 45 mm
- Thickness: 12 mm
- Lug Width: 20 mm
- Ref Number: 32065A04
- Case: 316L Stainless Steel
- Dial: White
- Movement: SOPROD P024
- Complications: Hours, Minutes, Seconds
- Lens: Double Domed Sapphire Glass
- Strap: Beads of Rice Bracelet
- Water Res.: 10 ATM
- Diameter: 38 mm
- Length: 45 mm
- Thickness: 12 mm
- Lug Width: 20 mm
- Ref Number: 32065A10
- Case: 316L Stainless Steel
- Dial: Matte Black
- Movement: SOPROD P024
- Complications: Hours, Minutes, Seconds
- Lens: Double Domed Sapphire Glass
- Strap: Beads of Rice Bracelet (Non-Pictured Options Available)
- Water Res.: 10 ATM
- Diameter: 38 mm
- Length: 45 mm
- Thickness: 12 mm
- Lug Width: 20 mm
- Ref Number: 32025A04
- Case: 316L Stainless Steel
- Dial: Matte Black
- Movement: SOPROD P024
- Complications: Hours, Minutes, Seconds
- Lens: Double Domed Sapphire Glass
- Strap: Rubber Tropic (Non-Pictured Options Available)
- Water Res.: 10 ATM
- Diameter: 38 mm
- Length: 45 mm
- Thickness: 12 mm
- Lug Width: 20 mm
- Ref Number: 32024A01
- Case: 316L Stainless Steel
- Dial: Matte Black
- Movement: SOPROD P024
- Complications: Hours, Minutes, Seconds
- Lens: Double Domed Sapphire Glass
- Strap: Leather Strap (Non-Pictured Options Available)
- Water Res.: 10 ATM
- Diameter: 38 mm
- Length: 45 mm
- Thickness: 12 mm
- Lug Width: 20 mm
- Ref Number: 32026A02
- Case: 316L Stainless Steel
- Dial: Matte Tropical with Oxidized and Aged Lumek
- Movement: SOPROD P024
- Complications: Hours, Minutes, Seconds
- Lens: Sapphire Glass with AR Coating
- Strap: Brown Racing Strap (Non-Pictured Options Available)
- Water Res.: 10 ATM
- Diameter: 38 mm
- Length: 45 mm
- Thickness: 12 mm
- Lug Width: 20 mm
- Ref Number: 32031A23
Nivada Grenchen was founded in Grenchen, Switzerland, in 1926 by Jacob Schneider. The firm wasted no time innovating and was one of the first companies to manufacture automatic watches at scale. Known for its accessible and reliable watches, Nivada Grenchen first released the Aquamatic and Sea Blade watches for seafarers. In 1950, the Antarctic, which was based on the Aquamatic, became the brand’s first hit model. It was famously issued to the US Navy during Operation Deep Freeze to the South Pole in 1955 and 1956.
Taking things to the next level in 1961, Nivada Grenchen introduced the Chronomaster, a watch designed to do it all: chronograph, aviation watch, and dive watch. The Chronomaster would find great success throughout the following decade and was made in myriad configurations through the 1970s. The Depthmaster, another cult classic, followed in 1965. Rated to an astounding 1000m, it was a marvel of its time and was considered the world’s most waterproof watch.
The company changed hands in the 1980s and again in the 2000s as the quartz crisis disrupted the Swiss watchmaking industry. In 2018, Guillame Laidet and Remi Chabrat relaunched Nivada Grenchen in its home of Switzerland with three of its most iconic models – the Antarctic, Chronomaster, and Depthmaster. With faithful reissues, Nivada Grenchen has captured the hearts of collectors as it continues to build its current lineup.
