It is even equipped with a helium escape valve in the caseband at 9 o’clock, meaning it’s good for saturation diving. Thanks to the combination of a screw-down crown, a thick screwed caseback and a domed crystal, this retro-styled watch is, just like its ancestor, a very capable dive watch. To be respectful of the original watch, the new Depthmaster retains the 1,000m / 100 ATM / 3,300ft water-resistance of the original 1960s watch. The weight, on the other hand, is fairly impressive and leaves no doubt on the diving capacities of this watch – but it also brings a pleasant quality feel. It’s also fairly comfortable on the wrist in terms of proportions, with a 13mm height and a compact lug-to-lug measurement of 47mm. The typical cushion shape has been retained (of course) and the overall design is entirely in line with the past models. And this starts with a diameter of only 39mm, which is only 1mm more than the vintage model. Made of stainless steel with brushed surfaces and polished flanks, the Depthmaster of today is everything the Depthmaster of the 1960s was. The design of yesteryears might be enjoyable, not so much the built quality… So, all in all, this new Depthmaster is all about the look of the past, with the benefits of modern manufacturing.Īnd while being a relatively accessible watch, the Nivada Grenchen Depthmaster packs a lot of cool features, starting with a powerful yet compact case. What was the norm in the 1960s isn’t anymore accepted and our standards of quality have drastically changed over the years. In the same vein as what has been done with the two previous watches, the Depthmaster is all about faithfulness of the design and proportions, yet with modern (and necessary) technical evolutions. Having already re-issued the Chronomaster and the Antarctic – including the very cool Spider edition here – the brand has decided to follow suit with the retro-oriented theme and to launch a third historic model, the Nivada Grenchen Depthmaster – and maybe we can expect to see a Depthomatic coming soon too… First is the 1964 Depthomatic, which became the first diver’s watch with a depth indicator or bathymeter. In addition to the widely known Chronomaster, a chronograph with 200-metre water-resistance, are two other important watches. From the earliest days, the company focused on instrument watches – for instance, Nivada’s first waterproof automatic watch named the Antarctic in 1950. The company remained under the control of the Schneider family until its 50th anniversary in 1976. The brand was founded in Grenchen (Granges), Switzerland in 1926 by Otto Wüllimann, Hermann Schindler and Jack Schneider. Indeed, if the brand has been rather successful during the 1960s, it has always been sort of a niche watchmaker for professional applications. Nivada is typically the kind of brand that will talk mostly to seasoned collectors and vintage watch lovers. Well, we have one for you here, in the name of the Nivada Grenchen Depthmaster, here presented with a rather striking green dial. What if you’re looking for a solid, deep diver’s watch with an original look, reliable mechanics, faithfulness, a name that resonates in the heart of collectors and, to make it even better, a fair price. And then comes the style, with many of these watches built around the same overall design. To put it simply, finding one that you’ll like is an endless quest, with so many good options available (and also very bad ones…) But accessibility often means that some concessions on quality, mechanics or specifications will be made. Accessible dive watches are a dime a dozen.
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