Nivada Grenchen Chronoking Mecaquartz Blog No. 8

Vintage feeling

After the release / new edition of the legendary Datomaster in 36mm, Nivada has released a new chronograph that will certainly please many watch enthusiasts. With the meca-quarz version of the Chronoking (which originally has an additional date window in the mechanical version), a very interesting watch has been launched on the market in addition to the unique design.  If you were looking for a vintage chronograph so far, you could notice very quickly that the prices have settled already in the 4-digit range, depending on its condition. Nivada also offers mechanical watches in this price category. After the Datomaster, however, the Chronoking was created an affordable alternative for watch lovers, without sacrificing the design DNA too much.

The first impression is quite positive due to the 38mm case diameter and 46.5mm lug-to-lug size, hence the proportions are certainly no problem for most wrists. The second hand and two subdial hands are in red to ensure contrast with the black dial color. The subdials themselves are a mixture of white, yellow and beige, giving the chronograph the appealing vintage look.

Quality or quantity?

Made of 316L stainless steel, the Nivada Grenchen Chronoking Diver case offers a similar overall profile to the brand's various Chronomaster models. In total, it measures 38 mm in diameter and 12.95 mm thick. The lugs are provided with brushed and polished surfaces and have large, tapered horns.   The bezel is surrounded by a black anodized aluminum insert that has a time scale of 60 minutes. The stainless steel case back is screwed and the brand logo is embossed on the bottom.

The Chronoking is powered by a Seiko VK64 Mecaquartz movement, with the second hand ticking once per second. Therefore we are not talking about a hybrid variant that provides a swiping hand like in other watches which would have featured the loookof a mechanical watch.

Glass

In keeping with the vintage style, a sapphire crystal with a double-domed shape and an anti-reflective coating was added which makes the case height about 0.5mm bigger. Even if acrylic or plexiglass is used in many old chronographs, a sapphire crystal is definitely the better alternative, if you want to use the Chronoking as a toolwatch in outdoors. Depending on the viewing angle of the watch, the marker blur on the edge of the glass, but this goes hand in hand with the charm of vintage inspired chronograph.

A good toolwatch?

In addition to the glass, the readability of the dial or markers are essential for a good toolwatch. The hour hand, the minute hand and the hour markers are finished with Super-LumiNova®. This radiates quite strongly at the beginning, but also subsides very quickly. So if you are groping in the dark for a long time, it can lead to difficulties in the readability of the chronograph. During the day, the watch is easier to read, even if the markers, subdials and hands are similar in colors so you have to take a closer look.

Particularly positive is the hour bezel. This can be rotated in both directions.

For faster attachment of new straps, the leather straps from Nivada Grenchen come with a quick release. Furthermore, as with most NOMOS watches, there are holes at the lugs which provide uncomplicated access to the bars. The versions with steel bracelets require more dexterity. With suitable Nato bands you need additional bars for the 20mm lug. The lugh width ensures that you can choose from an excellent pool of bracelets abd straps.

The watch is waterproof up to 100m.

Worth the money?

Nivada's Chronoking was already sold out within hours. Due to the limitation to 100 pieces, this timepiece is far from being a mainstream hit. For those watch collectors looking for an attractively priced alternative, the Chronoking for $470 was relatively affordable. However, it remains the question whether similar models will soon be available in a mechanical versions.

The current trend of offering models only in small batches is tricky. Watch manufacturers can calculate their production better as long they can advertise their new models sufficiently well and sell it off quickly. On the other hand, the limitation creates a certain hype so that more attention is guaranteed (as experienced with the Furlan Marri models). However, new customer demanding such models, will have to look out on the grey market.

Nevertheless, Nivada knows how to please its customers: new editions of past models, paired with vintage flair, nostalgia as well as suitable case sizes are widely demanded. The Chronoking is a good alternative if you don't necessarily want to spend thousands of euros on vintage models.