Hands-On With The Nivada Grenchen Chronosport
I’m not exaggerating when I say that the new Chronosport is one of the most anticipated releases from Nivada ever. The brand that knows how to create a re-edition did it again, and the watch community could not be happier about it. As always, we had the chance to go hands-on with the new Nivada Grenchen Chronosport, and I could not refuse. It took some time for the prototype to arrive, but it finally landed on my table. Here are my thoughts on it.
You may have seen the new Nivada Grenchen Chronosport on Fratello’s pages before. We reported on its initial release when the news first hit the community. However, writing an article based on a press release differs from having the watch on your wrist. I suggest you read the initial article and then come back here to see what I say.
Nivada Grenchen Chronosport
According to watch experts, researchers, and urban legend, the original Chronosport was never a production model. Nivada created 20 or so prototypes to be tested before deciding whether or not to commercialize the product. In the end, the Chronosport never made it to the final catalog, and aside from hardcore Nivada or chronograph fans, most people forgot or never knew it existed. Occasionally, pieces from the original test batch would surface on auction sites or dealer pages, but this was all we heard about this rare model for years. That was until recently when Nivada Grenchen — more precisely, Guillaume Laidet — decided to give the Chronosport a new lease on life by releasing a re-edition of the original late-’70s model. As always, the brand stayed as faithful to the original as possible, only changing or upgrading the watch where necessary.
The Fratello connection
Those who remember or ordered our Fratello × Nivada Grenchen Racing Chronograph might recall that the case design comes from a vintage model. The Racing Chronograph was a combination of two vintage Nivada watches. The inspiration for the dial came from the Nivada Grenchen Racing Dial Chronograph, whereas the case drew similarities to the vintage Chronosport. While the new Chronosport case looks similar to our collaborative model, it’s a tad thicker due to one simple fact: the Fratello edition had a hand-wound movement. This new Chronosport, however, has an automatic Valjoux 7750 inside.
Similarly, the vintage Chronosport also had a Valjoux caliber, the 7765. As a final twist, the 7765 was also a hand-wound movement. Oh, well; times change.
On the wrist
The Chronosport is a substantial timepiece, especially on the bracelet. This bracelet is the spitting image of the original, which had thinner, folded links. The modern version is made of thick and heavy steel, bringing the overall weight of the watch to a whopping 160 grams. Throw a leather strap on it, and it will lose almost half its weight, dropping to 89 grams. As usual, Nivada Grenchen offers the timepiece on a bracelet or several strap options. I wore it on both, although the strap came from my collection. You get the idea of how it would look on either when on the wrist. I felt the heft when on the bracelet, but this should be fine if you are a fan of heavier timepieces. The Chronosport was just great on the leather strap. This would be my preferred look. However, it always makes sense to buy watches with bracelets when possible and add a strap later.
Yes, 38 is great
While the 15.7mm thickness may be considerable (including the 3mm-thick double-domed sapphire crystal), the case has a comfortable 38mm diameter. As a result, the Chronosport is easy to wear on most wrists. The 44.3mm length from lug tip to lug tip is normal and does not make the watch wear larger than it is. Since the watch also has a 20mm lug spacing, finding the right strap is not an issue. Thanks to the case construction, you have a watch that is water resistant to 200 meters or 660 feet, as seen on the dial in red. Let’s spend a bit more time on the watch face. At 3 o’clock, you’ll find the date aperture, and to balance that, you’ll find the chronograph sub-dials at 9 and 12 o’clock. These are also the most distinct visual features of the Chronosport. But wait; there’s more.
Those with a sharp eye and knowledge of vintage watch designs may see something familiar in those sub-dials. The shapes and fonts of the indexes and numerals are iconic. They are the spitting image of the sub-dials on the famous Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona ref. 6239. This is because the dial supplier for both brands back in the day was Singer. Jean Singer himself designed the Chronosport’s dial. The odd sub-dial placements paired up with the Singer design and the distinct case shape made the original Nivada Chronosport stand out in the ’70s. Perhaps it stood out a little too much, which might be why the watch never made it into production. Luckily, we now have the chance to own one that bears practically all the features of the original.
Closing thoughts
I enjoy wearing all the review watches, Nivada and otherwise, but some are more memorable. The Nivada Grenchen Chronosport falls into this category for all the right reasons. Its size, weight (mainly on the strap), looks, and overall feel are right up my alley, which is a subjective matter, but it’s worth mentioning. Would I be happy to pay the US$2,180 list price for one on a strap or $200 more for one on a bracelet? Yes, I think I would. I also believe it’s a fair price considering what you get. My review watch was the Yellow version with aged lume. I’d go with that any day instead of the White. Then again, I love a complete vintage look. And while we were at it, I loved Chronosport as a whole. Balazs approves.
What do you think of the Nivada Grenchen Chronosport? Let me know in the comments.
