Unworn Nivada Grenchen x Analog:Shift Chronomaster 'Big Eye'
Ref: Chronomaster 'Big Eye'
Specification
Lugs : 20mm
Condition : Unworn
Box & Papers : Box & Papers
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : Manufacturer Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold with its original Nivada Grenchen box, swing tag and paperwork. The watch comes paired with its original 20mm Nivada Grenchen Beads of Rice polished stainless steel bracelet with a signed push-button deployment clasp, all links provided. The watch is from June 2023 and is sold in unworn condition, as you can see from the photographs. The watch comes with its Manufacturer's Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IKl4RkUyJiNkBHrBI3jdLBUp4yFqzbJS?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 15:56 - https://youtu.be/n9GdZ-MlnLA
The Watch
Here we have an unworn Nivada Grenchen x Analog:Shift Chronomaster 'Big Eye' limited to 100 pieces, this is a collaboration piece with the charismatic Analog:Shift who sell vintage and pre-owned watches, founded by James Lamdin in 2012, an avid watch collector who loves to tell their respective buyers the varied and colourful stories of each watch. The 38.5mm polished and satin-brushed stainless steel case curves over your wrist with bevel-edged tapered drilled flat-ended lugs, and a lug-to-lug length of 46.5mm and a case thickness of 14mm give the watch an impressive wrist presence. Inspired by their colourful “Big Eye'' Regatta Yachting watches of the 1960s. Down the right side, we have the piston-style chronograph pushers and in the centre a signed crown. The light grey insert-60-minute and 12-hour scale give the illusion of an aged patina, bidirectional stainless steel bezel has deep knurling for extra grip holding a domed sapphire crystal resembling the acrylic domed crystals of the past, above a dynamic satin silver dial. An outer minute track is precisely executed with applied baton indexes marking the hours, at 3 o’clock we have the “Big Eye'' 30-minute register with the blue and orange Regatta 10-minute start countdown 1/5th second scale, at 9 o’clock we have the black 60-minute register, steel baton hands are infilled with SuperLumiNova and complemented by an orange lollipop chronograph hand. At 12 o’clock the Nivada Grenchen motif and at 6 o’clock Analog:Shift, its placement on the dial is a nod to Nivada’s long heritage and its relationship with independent retailers. On the reverse a screw-down case back with the details of the watch around its edge and an embossed Nivada Grenchen in the centre, inside a manually wound Sellita Cal. SW510 BH B, 23 jewels, beating at 28,800 beats per hour, based on the cam-operated chronograph Sellita SW500-1. The watch comes paired with its 20mm “Beads of Rice'' polished stainless steel bracelet with a signed push-button deployment clasp and the watch comes with its Nivada Grenchen presentation box and paperwork.
Personal Note
Nivada has been producing some incredible vintage-inspired watches and the Chronomaster range has been one of my favourites yet, so when they paired up with Anolog:Shift to introduce a limited edition I knew it would be good, but this is beyond good! The colours chosen work perfectly and the inspiration from Regatta Yachting watches is clear, I wouldn't hesitate on this one if you are interested!
The Brand
Nivada was founded in Grenchen Switzerland as early as 1879, but officially 1926 appears to be its actual foundation as in 1976 they celebrated their 50th anniversary. In 1939, Nivada built up a business deal with the New York-based Croton Watch Company to enable them to import and distribute Nivada watches within the US. This successful partnership would last for many years. Nivada Grenchen was imported and sold in the US under a number of different brand names such as Croton Nivada, Croton Nivada Grenchen, and Croton. During the 1960s and 70s, they were not allowed to use their Nivada name in the USA due to its phonetically sounding similar to Movado, so they used Nivada Grenchen instead. In 2018, two entrepreneurs in watchmaking, Guillaume Laidet, and Remi Chabrat, have decided to revive the Nivada brand with its original legacy and in 2019 they obtained the licence to use the Nivada Grenchen copyright.