Earlier this year, Nivada Grenchen released a new take on their dive watch within the Antarctic collection called the Aquamar. While the overall design language feels quite comfortable, the details found in the dial and bezel set it apart in a crowded genre. The watch was released in a trio of variations, and this week, it’s welcoming a new vintage focused option. This dial brings some classic mid century dial motifs to light in a new way, all within the same steel 38mm confines that keep it firmly in no nonsense skin diver territory.
Mid-century dive watch designs continue to resonate today thanks to their abundance of character, and seeing them brought to life in new ways is refreshing in a way. Like seeing photos of old Pizza Hut or McDonalds restaurants from 30 years ago next to their current, much colder counterparts which have been deprived of their identity. The micro brand or small independent brand space is stepping up to add a lot of that color back into many of the classic watch designs that helped to define the genre at one point in time.
The dial of this Aquamar is quite vibrant in this regard, with oversized squares representing each hour, bridging a blue inner portion and a grey perimeter section. It’s straightforward, but somehow feels immensely expressive in nature. There is a date window at three o’clock and a fully indexed bezel insert filling in the rest of the situation, with a vintage yellow-ish lume providing a final accent. The lume feels fitting within the context of this design, particularly in yellow over an egg-shell choice.
On the inside, Nivada Grenchen is using an automatic Soprod P024 movement, which may not be the sexiest option available, but it does keep the price right around that $1,000 mark on a strap. The final detail that pushes this watch over the top is the abundance of strap and bracelet options, which can push the personality of the watch into very different areas. Stepping back, this is one of the strengths of Nivada Grenchen, who aren’t afraid to give buyers options with watches like this.
It’s easy to be cynical about releases like this, as another vintage inspired diver is about the last thing we need. That said, I think more options are always better, and Nivada Grenchen is slowly reclaiming their history through watches like this, with no signs of slowing down. I do think it would benefit the brand to bring more focus to fewer releases, but at the end of the day, the sheer variety and breadth of creativity on display is laudable. Nivada Grenchen