Nine functions in just one wristwatch – at the beginning of the 1960s, only one chronograph could do this: the Nivada Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver. This popular timepiece is at home in all disciplines of time measurement, as this somewhat unwieldy name suggests. Nivada produced the Chronomaster in relatively large numbers until the mid-1970s, which means that there are plenty of well-maintained vintage models available on the market. The Nivada brand, which was revived in 2018, has been regularly presenting new Chronomaster models with modern technology since 2020. Fortunately, almost everything about the watch remained the same, both visually and proportionally. As a result, the chronograph became the focus of watch enthusiasts who value appealing design, accuracy, and suitability for everyday use. In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the Nivada brand and the most important new Chronomaster models.
Nivada Grenchen – In the Slipstream of the Big Brands
The history of Nivada goes back to 1926, when Nivada SA was founded by three entrepreneurs in the Swiss town of Grenchen. The brand went on to become known as a manufacturer of professional timepieces for a wide range of applications, with a range of custom-made watches for virtually every relevant target group. With the Antarctic model in the 1950s, Nivada focused on participants in polar expeditions. Later, in the 1960s and 70s, the focus was on racing drivers, pilots, divers, sailors, and frequent travelers. The timepieces were powered by calibers from established Swiss movement suppliers like ETA, Venus, Valjoux, and Landeron. Much better-known watch brands such as Omega, Heuer, Breitling, and Rolex also drew on these manufacturers at the time and often used identical calibers for their iconic Autavia, Navitimer, and Daytona watches. Nivada watches were considered to be robust and reliable, and therefore did not have to hide behind the much better-known watches of the competition.
Nivada Chronomaster – The Super Chronograph
One model outshone all other Nivada watches: the Chronomaster Sea Diver Aviator, launched in 1961. Nivada presented the visually appealing chronograph as a multifunctional tool watch with a total of nine functions. Water-resistant to 100 m (328 ft, 10 bar), the Chronomaster, was the first timepiece to combine a stopwatch with tachymeter scale, diving watch, pilot’s watch, timer, yachting timer, and GMT display. In the print ads at the time, Nivada advertised the Chronomaster with the slogans “Super-Chronograph” and “The world’s busiest watch – has more uses than ever counted.” There were few prominent Chronomaster wearers. There is evidence that the American film actor Brian Kelly wore a Chronomaster in the 1966 science fiction film Underwater Around the World and in the television series Flipper. Due to name disputes with the watch manufacturer Movado, Nivada had to market its watches in the USA under the name Croton from the 1930s onwards. The Croton Watch Co. Inc. was founded in New York in 1873. It specialized in manufacturing watches from Swiss and American components and distributing them in the USA. If you like the Nivada Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver and come across the name Croton during your purchase research, then these are absolutely identical models that were produced for the US market. Very rare examples that existed under the names Pierre Vallee, Rudolph’s, Austin, Guildcrest, Sussex, or Le Marc that have survived the decades are also identical to the Nivada Chronomaster.
Rediscovery of the Nivada Chronomaster
The ever-increasing popularity of the Chronomaster Vintage models prompted the young entrepreneur and scene connoisseur Guillaume Laidet to revive the Nivada brand in 2018 and, shortly afterwards, to bring the Chronomaster back onto the scene. As of autumn 2024, the manufacturer offered a total of 15 Nivada Chronomaster models with manual winding and five variants powered by an automatic caliber. As a caliber, Nivada relies on the Sellita SW510 M BH b, the SW510 BH b and the new Landeron 70. In addition to the dial colors white, black and brown and various hand shapes, the buyer can also choose between white Super-LumiNova or dark vintage lume. Each version is available with a variety of stainless steel bracelets or leather straps, or on a rubber strap. It can therefore be quite difficult to decide on the right variant, which is probably the reason why there are three Chronomasters in my watch box.
Unlike many watch manufacturers who unnecessarily inflate their retro timepieces, Nivada left the diameter of the stainless steel case at exactly 38.3 mm. The dial design, indices, hands, and bezel also correspond almost entirely to the original designs from the 1960s and 70s. Only the plexiglass has been replaced with a contemporary sapphire crystal. Then as now, the chronograph is water-resistant to 100 m (10 bar, 328 ft). The ref. 86007M with a black dial and broad arrow hands comes closest to the original model (ref. 8221) from 1961. With the reference number 86012M, Nivada offers a reinterpretation of the Orange Boy 85004/4076, while the 86010M comes in a panda look. The reference 86011M is the best alternative to the Vintage 8500/3730 with lollipop hands.
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Nivada Chronomaster “Broad Arrow” & “Singer Paul Newman” With Interchangeable Bezels
In the late summer of 2024, Nivada came up with a clever gimmick for two special Chronomaster models. The manufacturer equipped the references 86056M (Broad Arrow) and 86054M (Singer Paul Newman) with a quick-change system for the bezels. This system allows the bezels to be replaced in a few simple steps and without any tools. The Chronomaster Paul Newman was also offered by Nivada in the 1970s and distinguishes itself from the Broad Arrow. The main reason for this is its white panda-style dial with black subdials. The “Paul Newman” label is based on the typography of the numerals on the subdials, which can also be found on the famous Rolex Daytona “Paul Newman.” The dials – both on the Daytona and the Chronomaster – were manufactured by the Swiss company Singer. The dial also features applied, block-shaped indices with a dot of Super-LumiNova. While the indices glow sufficiently in the dark after prolonged exposure to light, the luminosity of the Super-LumiNova on the hands is weak. Unfortunately, this means that the Chronomaster Paul Newman is not easy to read in low light conditions. I did not have the Broad Arrow version for this review, so it is possible that the hands on this model are more luminous. Back to the custom bezels. The idea is as simple as it is ingenious, and dates back to a concept that Nivada implemented in the 1960s for the Coloroma VI women’s collection. The principle is based on a simple click or plug-in technique that works with four snappers embedded in the case that hold the bezel in place. Once the bezel has been replaced, it has a stable bearing and – as usual – can be rotated in both directions.
The watches come with five different aluminum bezels. These include four classic inserts with a 60-minute scale in the colors black, blue, green, and red. There is also a fifth, two-tone option. The 60-minute scale is black with a red city ring to indicate different time zones. This means that the watch can also be used as a world timer. When you combine the five different bezels with the many different strap options, the possibilities for customizing the new models are nearly endless. Both Chronomaster models are powered by the Landeron 70 manual caliber with a 43-hour power reserve. The collaboration with Landeron is a tribute to previous Chronomasters equipped with Landeron movements, the most famous of which is the Landeron 248. Nivada offers both Chronomaster versions with interchangeable bezels and either a closed steel case back with the Nivada logo or a sapphire crystal display case back.
You can buy a new Nivada Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver on Chrono24 from around $2,000. Well-maintained vintage examples are generally more expensive and are sold for between $2,700 and $5,400, depending on their condition.
Summary
All versions of the Nivada Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver are visually distinctive and appealing chronographs. In terms of quality, both the vintage models and the new editions are on a par with timepieces from better-known brands. Vintage models are popular and collectible if they are in good condition. If all the parameters and the price are right, nothing stands in the way of a purchase. The watches are unlikely to be significantly cheaper, and for many collectors the model has long been considered a cult watch. With the new interpretations, Nivada has succeeded brilliantly in transferring the timelessly beautiful design practically 1:1 into the new millennium. Even better: With the size of the original, the case design of the original, and the drilled lugs, the watch has a pure vintage feel (despite the sapphire crystal) and is fully suitable for everyday use. One small drawback is the luminosity of the indices, which could be a little stronger.
