[F]Hands-on: Nivada Grenchen Chronosport

It’s no exaggeration to say that the new Chrono Sport is one of the most anticipated releases in Nivada history. The brand knows how to create a reissue, and they’ve done it again, and the watch community couldn’t be more pleased. As always, we were presented with the opportunity to go hands-on with the new Nivada Grenchen Chrono Sport, and we couldn’t turn it down. It took a while for the prototype to arrive, but it’s finally arrived on my desk. Below are my thoughts on it.

By now you may have seen the new Nivada Grenchen Chronosport on the pages of Fratello. We reported on its initial release when the news first reached our community. However, writing an article based on a press release is different from actually having the watch on your wrist. I encourage you to read the initial article and then come back here to see my comments.

Nivada Grenchen Chronosport

According to watch experts, researchers and urban legends, the original ChronoSport was never a production model. Nivada built around 20 prototypes for testing before deciding whether to commercialize the product or not. In the end, the ChronoSport never made it into the final catalog and most people, except for die-hard Nivada and chronograph fans, either forgot about its existence or never knew about it at all. Occasionally, pieces of the original test batch would pop up on auction sites or dealer pages, but for years, that was all we heard about this rare model. Until recently, Nivada Grenchen, or more precisely Guillaume Reyde, decided to breathe new life into the ChronoSport by releasing a reissue of the original model from the late 70s. As always, the brand stayed as faithful as possible to the original, only changing or upgrading the watch when necessary.

Connection with Fratello

Those who remember or have ordered our Fratello x Nivada Grenchen Racing Chronograph may recall that the case design comes from a vintage model. The Racing Chronograph combines two vintage Nivada watches. The dial is inspired by the Nivada Grenchen Racing Dial Chronograph, while the case resembles a vintage Chronosport. The new Chronosport case is similar to our collaboration model, but is a bit thicker due to the simple fact that the Fratello edition was equipped with a manual winding movement. However, this new Chronosport has an automatic Valjoux 7750 inside.

Similarly, the Vintage Chronosport was also powered by the Valjoux caliber 7765. Even more amazing, the 7765 was also a manual-wound movement. Well, times have changed.

On the wrist

The Chrono Sport is a solid watch, especially on the bracelet. This bracelet is identical to the original with thinner folded links. The modern version is made of thick and heavy steel, and the entire watch weighs a whopping 160 grams. With the leather strap, the weight is almost half, at 89 grams. As always, Nivada Grenchen offers the watch on a bracelet or with several strap options. I wore it on both, but the strap was from my collection. I think you can see how it looks on your wrist either way. With the bracelet, it felt heavy, but if you like heavy watches, that shouldn’t be a problem. The Chrono Sport looked great on the leather strap. This is the look I prefer. But it always makes sense to buy a watch with a bracelet and add the strap later, if possible.

Yes, 38 is great

While the 15.7mm thickness may be substantial (including the 3mm thick double domed sapphire crystal), the case diameter is a comfortable 38mm. As such, the Chrono Sport can be worn easily on most wrists. The length from lug tip to lug tip is 44.3mm, which is standard and does not make the watch look larger than it actually is. The watch also has a lug spacing of 20mm, so you will not have any trouble finding a suitable strap. Thanks to the case construction, you get a watch that is water resistant to 200 meters or 660 feet, as shown in red on the dial. Let’s spend a little more time on the watch’s dial. There is a date window at the 3 o’clock position, and to balance it out, there are chronograph subdials at the 9 and 12 o’clock positions. These are also the most distinctive visual features of the Chrono Sport. But wait. There’s more.

Those with keen observation and knowledge of vintage watch design may recognize these subdials. The shape and font of the indexes and numbers are iconic. They are identical to the subdials of the famous Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona ref. 6239. This is because Singer was the dial supplier for both brands at the time. The ChronoSport dial was designed by Gene Singer himself. The odd subdial arrangement, combined with Singer’s design and unique case shape, made the original Nivada ChronoSport stand out in the 70s. Perhaps it was too conspicuous, which is why the watch was never produced. Luckily, you now have the chance to own one with almost all the characteristics of the original.

lastly

I have enjoyed wearing all of the watches I have reviewed, including the Nivada ones, but there is one that really stands out to me. The Nivada Grenchen Chronosport falls into this category in every way. The size, weight (mainly the strap), look and overall feel are exactly what I like. This is a subjective question, but it’s worth mentioning. Would I be willing to pay $2,180 list price for a watch on a strap and another $200 for one on a bracelet? Yes, I would, and I think it’s a fair price for what you get. The watch I reviewed was the yellow version with aged lume. I’d take that over the white any day. That said, I love the full vintage look. And, incidentally, I love the Chronosport as a whole. Even Balazs agrees.

What do you think about the Nivada Grenchen Chronosport? Let us know in the comments.

Watch Specifications