In 1926 a new watch brand is born in the small town of Grenchen, Switzerland. One with high aspirations and a clear vision of the future. In the 1930s the brand begun producing watches under the name Croton and expanded into the U.S. market. Later, in the 1950s its watches circumnavigate the globe on the wrists of expeditionists headed for the South Pole. Throughout the 1960s the brand continues to grow off the back of the successful polar expedition watches. It seemed like this brand was unstoppable, but history had other plans.
This is the story of a watch 100 years in the making.
Introducing the Nivada Grenchen x WatchGecko Autochron Limited Edition
The Re-Birth of Nivada Grenchen
During the 1970s a new technology from Japan begins to spread across the world. A method of tracking time that is not only more accurate than the Swiss escapement but less complex and far cheaper to produce. This was the beginning of the Quartz crisis, an era where and entire industry was at risk of collapse due to the invention and global success of the battery powered watch.
Many brands unable to compete with this new technology begun to fall off the radar, many would never produce watches again. A lucky few conglomerated to strengthen their chances of survival and fewer still were able to remain independently operated.
Nivada was not fortunate during this time. It was able to hold on longer than most due to its sheer success, but in late 1970s the brand ceased production and was passed between owners for the decades that followed, never making any real return to market. Despite the disappearance, many of the watches produced by the brand were held in high regard by collectors and became extremely sought-after in the years that followed.
In 2018 the brand was officially relaunched and for the first time in almost half a century, new watches sporting the Nivada name on the dial were available.
The Story of the Autochron
Just before the wheels stopped turning and the watchmakers went home for the last time from the Nivada Factory, there was a prototype in the works that would never make it into production. Only around 20 would ever be made in the prototype stages before the brand closed. Fortunately, this would not be the end of the story for the Autochron. As part of the brand’s relaunch the famed Antarctic, Chronosport, and F77 would be joined by the Autochron. A design with unrealised potential brought to the market almost half a century after what we thought was its fate sealed.
Once we had decided that the Autochron should be our starting point, we wanted to answer a question that history never let be answered.
‘What would a contemporary Autochron have looked like if it had made it to production?’
What if the Quartz crisis had never happened and this watch had the opportunity to become a legend alongside its competitors from brands still operating today? It’s an exciting prospect to consider and one full of possibility. A fitting place to start for a watch intended to be launched in the centenary of the brand.
Designing Our Watch
Faced with the slightly daunting task of designing a watch that not only celebrates the Autochron but also 100 years of the Nivada brand, we set about researching everything we could on the history of Nivada. It was during this research process that we discovered the brilliance of Jean Singer.
Something that is not particularly apparent about the way watch brands used to work is the fact that many of the most famous dial designs in a brand’s catalogue weren’t conceived by the brands themselves. They were designed by full-time dial design specialists and Jean Singer was one of the best. The work of him and his team had already been featured on brands including Omega and Rolex with perhaps the most iconic design featuring on the Rolex Daytona 6239, better known as ‘The Paul Newman Daytona’.
Just like the watch brands he worked with, Jean Singer had an entire back catalogue of ideas, concepts, designs and even prototypes of watches that never made it to market. While not particularly well-documented in the public space these archives can be found and you could easily spend a whole day trawling through Daytonas that you’ve never seen, Omegas that didn’t get made and a wealth of other design ideas. So, that’s exactly what I did until I came across a beautiful teal and cream coloured dial destined for a Rolex Daytona.
I was instantly captured by the colours, how they interacted and how unlike anything else I’d seen it was. Many chronographs prioritise contrast in their design at the expense of colour. I was determined to not let function take away from individuality. So, having found our inspiration from a dial that never existed for a watch that nearly never existed, pairing the two together to give them the opportunity to exist in their full potential seemed fitting.
The Watch Itself
The WatchGecko limited edition of the Autochron is limited to just 100 pieces, one for each year of Nivada’s history and each one is individually numbered.
Technical Specifications
- Case Diameter: 38mm
- Case Thickness: 12.65mm
- Case Material: 316L Stainless Steel
- Movement: VK67 Mecaquartz
- Crystal: Double Domed Sapphire
- Bezel: DLC Coated Uni-Directional 120 Click
- Lug-to-Lug: 44.3mm
- Lug Width: 20mm
- Bracelet: 316L Stainless Steel
- Strap: Co-Signed Highley Brown Suede
- Water Resistance: 200m (20ATM)
The watches are delivered in a custom co-branded box that features a special sleeve colour-matched to the dial and the straps come in Nivada’s own special carry box.
We were impressed by the specifications of the original watch, which is part of what led us to the Autochron as the base for our limited edition. But the numbers only make up part of the story, and it was also the way the watch wears that drew us in. The case is slim for a chrono, and the design cleverly means there are no large, towering surfaces. The bracelet with its short links wraps around the wrist brilliantly making I not only comfortable but helps the case sit close to the wrist. This svelteness does not mean the watch lacks in presence though, as the semi-integrated design of the bracelet and angular case architecture not only catch the light but help the watch to stand out among sports watch designs.
Concluding Thoughts
Two designs with unrealised potential culminating in a limited edition to commemorate 100 years since the founding of a brand. It’s the type of story that gets me excited as a collector and enthusiast. No matter how long we spend in this hobby, there will always be something new to learn, a design to discover, and a new watch to create from it all.
We are incredibly excited to share this limited edition and its story with the watch community.
