Ever since Nivada Grenchen was resurrected by Guillaume Laidet in 2018, the Swiss watchmaker — previously known among collectors for its mid-century tool-watch mastery — has arguably become the most authentic purveyor of reissued vintage watches today.
The watches in Nivada’s modern catalog, though they use modern materials, movements (most of the time) and finishing techniques, look nearly indistinguishable from those the brand produced in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. From their archival designs to their period-correct sizes, Nivada does things the old way.
And while it’s true that the old ways are sometimes best, a more modern look can be good too. And that’s what we have in Nivada’s latest: a contemporary makeover of its affordable Chronoking chronograph that looks absolutely fantastic.
Black and blue (and white)
Nivada’s flagship watch is the Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver (CASD), a “super chronograph” that originally debuted in the 1960s with a wide array of functions. Following the debut of the CASD, Nivada introduced the Chronoking, which added a date complication to the already-busy Chronomaster format.
Today, Nivada offers the Chronoking as a line under the Chronomaster umbrella. And while there are faithful manual-wind versions with a date, Nivada also produces more affordable Chronokings sans date that are powered by a mecaquartz movement that adds a third subdial to the normally bicompax layout.
