Croton Nivada CASD

CROTON NIVADA GRENCHEN, CHRONOMASTER, CHRONOGRAPH AVIATOR SEA DIVER, FIRST GENERATION

ICONEEK price: SOLD

Iconeek is very proud to introduce here a very fine, unusual and highly attractive, early, stainless steel vintage chronograph by Croton Nivada Grenchen (CNG): the Chronomaster. The model was launched in 1961 and was designed to be a Super-Chronograph, combining the functions of two or three ordinary chronographs, for the time. The Croton advertising was stating « If you’re about to buy a watch why not make sure it’s a 1- stop watch, 2- time out stop watch, 3-doctor’s watch, 4- yachting timer, 5-tachometer, 6-aviator’s watch, 7-time zone watch, 8-skin diver’s watch, 9-regular watch, Why not make sure it’s the Chronomaster by Croton ». When the model was launched it was the most advanced and complicated chronograph available on the  market.

The first models, such as the present watch, were powered by a caliber Venus 210. The dial is bearing the name « Chronograph » whereas the next generations were printed « Chronomaster ». As in 1962/1963, the model was updated with the caliber Valjoux 92, the « 210 » models were produced during a very short time and are actually the rarest and the most sought-after models. Ref. 105, such as the present watch, was the first reference Croton ( for Nivada, it was ref. 8221). Under the hesalite glass, a first generation, matte black dial, with painted luminous Baton numerals, painted with dots at 12,  an outer tachymeter scale, with the serif writing for the 7 of the 70,  luminous large steel broad arrow hour hand, luminous steel dauphine minute hand. Being from the first generation, the present dial does not bear the « Swiss » or « Swiss made » indication at his bottom. The painted luminous indexes are not detached from the minute/second division. The 30-minute register at 3 is fitted with a 5-minute red section with radial Arabic numerals for the 5-minute countdown of Regatta race before starting.

The model comes with a three-body construction: a snap on bi-directionnal rotating bezel with both decompression time and 12 hour division, a polished stainless steel tonneau-shaped case with lapidated lugs, a screwed case back, round small chronograph pushers in the band, a screwed case back. The inner case back is engraved « Nivada Grenchen Croton Swiss » and bears the case number « 39540 ».  The case back is engraved  outside « ALL STAINLESS STEEL – WATERPROOF – SHOCKRESISTANT » and reference-serial « 105-17670 ». The present bezel is correct for this early model, bearing a 7 without serif writing on the 12-hour division, pointed top four 4 and elongated zero 0, for the 60-minute division, a total diameter of 38.5. The present model is fitted with a 1st generation case, where the pierced lugs come slightly over the bezel.

Inside ticks a caliber Venus 210 (1948-1966), mechanical, hand wound, 17 jewels, engraved COW, index regulator, shock-absorbers, two-arm monometallic balance with timing screws, self-compensating flat balance. The chronograph bridge is engraved « NIVADA SA GRENCHEN, CROTON, V34/A593 ». The « COW » engraving stands for the importation of the movements by Croton in the USA. Dial, case and movement are signed. A very similar model by Nivada is described and illustrated in Chronomaster Only, by Grégoire Rossier & Anthony Marquié, pages 164 & 165.

A collector !! A must-have for the most discerning collectors

Condition: 9/10, in close to new old stock condition, some very light signs of wear in places, in working condition