Depending on your viewing angle, it’s possible to get a very different character out of the watch. The top of the lug is a narrow rectangle, so views directly down on the watch give the appearance of a straight wire lug, with the chamfer falling out of sight due to their polished surface. The most interesting feature of the case are the lugs, which are brushed with a polished chamfer that tapers toward the tip. The case measures 38mm in diameter (39mm at the bezel’s edge), 14.8mm in thickness (including a domed sapphire crystal), and a pleasant 46.5mm from lug to lug. That’s exactly what makes it so charming. The Chronomaster is nothing if not true to its origins, almost to a fault. And in day to day use, the new Nivada just does fine, and looks pretty damn cool in the process. But, when it comes to jack-of-all-trades type tools, rarely do they excel at any one of them, and while that is certainly the case here, I can’t think of a situation that today’s user would put it to use for any of the aforementioned activities. Having an impromptu yacht race with your mates? There’s a yachting scale in the minute totalizer. Piloting a single prop for the afternoon? Again with the tachymeter. Heading out for a dive? The rotating bezel has you covered. Timing a race? Check out that chronograph and tachymeter. That’s the point of the watch however, to provide you with the right tools regardless of what you happen to be doing. The name is a mouthful, and sounds a bit like 3 different watches jammed into one. The unique designs and functionality of these watches struck a high note with consumers, and Nivada saw their exports go from 52,000 in 1964 to 173,000 in 1969 as a result. By the ‘60s, Nivada had hit their stride with watches like the Chronomaster, Aviator, Sea Diver, and Depthomatic – which housed a depth gauge on the dial. In 1940 Croton was formed to distribute Nivada watches to US retailers, and subsequent watches could be found bearing the name ‘Croton’, or ‘Croton Nivada’ or even ‘Croton Nivada Grenchen’. A judge ruled that adding ‘Grenchen’ to the title would suffice, and so watches sold thereafter are labeled as such, but it’s not that clear cut. Upon their attempt to enter the US market, Nivada was presented with a legal hurdle to overcome thanks to Movado, who felt that their names were too similar and would confuse consumers. Side note, the expedition was filmed by the US Navy and Disney Studios, and as a result Walt Disney was named an honorary member of the expedition. By the ‘50s, Nivada watches were being worn by the members of the American Navy’s Deep Freeze 1, dubbed Task Force 43, during their expedition to the South Pole in 1955. Their watches were early to adopt automatic movements from the likes of ETA and Phénix S.A in the ‘30s. Their aim was to create professional instruments that were practical, usable, and tough. The brand operated under the name Wüllimann Schneider Nivada S.A for its founders Otto Wüllimann, Hermand Schlindler, and Jacob Schneider. Byrd reported that despite intense cold, harsh impacts, high magnetism and altitude the watches performed perfectly.The Nivada Grenchen brand dates to 1926, and is named for the town in Switzerland that sits east of Lausanne. Renowned explorer Admiral Richard Byrd wore a Croton during Operation Deep Freeze, a 1955 expedition to the Antarctic. Many watch companies quickly rose to meet that challenge, including Croton. The mid 1900’s were a time rich with exploration and adventurers had very specific requirements for their watches. The components were being manufactured in Switzerland, but the watches were assembled in the Croton, NY factory leading Croton to be regarded as an American watch brand. They relocated to New York City in 1928 and finally settled in the Hudson Valley town of Croton, New York in 1963. The roots of the Croton Watch Company can be traced to the city of Crotone in southern Italy. This model utilizes a Valjoux 92 movement. Revolutionary for its day, the Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver includes: a chronograph, a tachymeter scale, a rotating bezel for diving, a second time zone on the bezel and a sailing regatta countdown.
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