From there, the Croton Nivada Grenchen – sometimes branded on the dial as only Croton, other times signed by both names, and, as is seen here, uncommonly signed only by Nivada Grenchen – became an extremely popular do-it-all chronograph.Īlongside the Antarctic, the Chronomaster chronograph is the best known (and most sought after) watch to come from the Nivada stable. Due to slightly similar names, a battle played out in between Movado, already well established in the US at the time, and Nivada, resulting in Croton stepping in as the US distributor of Nivada-made watches. For much of its history, Nivada stuck to European markets until an expansion attempt into the American sector in the 1940s. Nivada (of) Grenchen dates back to 1879 in the small Swiss town of, well, Grenchen.

Furthermore, to find one in this condition? Not so easy.Why This Watch Matters The red 'lollipop' seconds hand is just enough to take this Chronomaster to the next level. While Chronomasters are fairly common, it is much harder to find the higher quality Croton variant. With its deep black bezel in an almost unused condition, the unpolished stainless steel case along with a perfect dial, this is what the term ‘collectors grade’ means. This example is particular is in particular collectable as it is in exceptional condition. While the others used lower grade movements, the American bound watches were powered by the industry-leading column wheel Valjoux 23.

Some were branded under the Nivada Grenchen name which was powered by the Valjoux 92, but the Chronomasters that went to the US were branded Croton and this variant is by far the highest quality. The Chronomaster came in several variants. This is exactly what the current market loves and it is no wonder the Chronomaster is a perennial favourite. It has a large 38mm stainless steel case with bevelled lugs, an aluminium minute/hour bi-directional bezel and of course, large broad arrow hands. With this example, it is all about the aesthetics- a first execution model that features a classically 60s sports chronograph styling. The Chronomaster came about during a time where adventures and exploration was a hot topic and many watch manufacturers took advantage of this, releasing multiple sports watches.

Quite the mouthful, but talk about tapping into as many demographics as you can!

This is perhaps one of the most epic watch model names to have come out of the 20th century- the Croton Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver.

Download aviator sea diver