A reliable racing chronograph watch that adapts to any vehicle like a chameleon. Discover everything about the Nivada Chronoking Racing in this article.
Introduction
Once in a blue moon, a watch manufacturer comes up with a fresh new idea that makes you wonder why no one ever thought of this before. We saw this eureka moment with the new Nivada Grenchen Chronoking. What makes this timepiece special is that you can change the bezel to a different style and color in just 5 seconds, allowing you to match your watch to the type of car you’re driving, your outfit, or the event you’re attending—a brilliant idea, if you ask us. The fact that the timepiece is also a chronograph inspired by racing and cars is the icing on the cake.
History
Nivada was founded in 1926 in Grenchen, Switzerland, by Otto Wüllimann, Hermann Schindler, and Jacob Schneider. In its early years, Nivada focused on reliable mechanical watches and built a reputation for quality.
Due to their reliability, the timepieces were used in various expeditions to Antarctica in the 1950s, including the “Deep Freeze I en II” expeditions in 1955.
The quartz and oil crises of 1973 contributed to declining sales figures, which ultimately led to the closure of Nivada Gretchen’s production facilities in Switzerland at the end of the 1970s. In the decades that followed, the brand changed hands several times and disappeared from the market. Nevertheless, there remained a steady demand among collectors for vintage Nivada Grenchen watches.
In 2018, Guillaume Laidet and Rémi Chabrat collaborated to revive Nivada Grenchen, focusing on reissues of classic designs, executed with modern production techniques. The first reissued models were the Chronomaster, Antarctic, and Depthmaster, which were well received by collectors and enthusiasts. Social media played an important role in reintroducing the brand to a new audience.
The timepiece
The Chronoking racing is a true chameleon that adapts to any situation thanks to the 5 included 120-click adjustable tachymeter bezels that can be changed in 5 seconds. Each bezel has a different color (black, orange, red, light blue, and blue). Three of them are made of sapphire and the other two are made of aluminum. In addition to the tachymeter version, the bezels are also available in a GMT version with city names on the edge and a tachymeter scale on the inside.
In addition to the difference in bezel, the watch is also available with five different dials: a limited edition carbon version, as well as racing gray, racing black, racing green, and racing blue. The racing green and blue versions have a dial with an asphalt texture, while the others have a flat dial.
The second hand is also finished in a contrasting color that varies depending on the dial you choose. This also applies to the colors of the hands on the chronograph.
Because the movement uses a reliable Seiko VK63 meca-quartz movement, the chronograph layout consists of three indicators or “tricompax.” At the 9 o’clock position, we find a 60-minute hand, at 6 o’clock we find the chronograph’s seconds hand, and at 3 o’clock we find the 24-hour display.
A meca-quartz movement means that the watch is powered by a battery. This normally lasts for 3 years, including use of the chronograph for 1 hour per day. So if you use the chronograph less, the battery will easily last 4 to 5 years. An additional advantage of the VK63 over a standard quartz movement is that the second hand moves smoothly, as in an automatic movement.
The watch is a feast of design and colors in daylight, and this continues when you turn off the lights. The C3 superluminova lume on the dial and bezel is sublime, making everything easy to read even in the dark. Lume has even been applied to the logo, hands, and numbers on the chronograph. One point of criticism is that the lume fades fairly quickly.
In addition to the dial and bezel, Nivada also offers an extensive selection of watch straps. You can choose from black leather, brown leather, black leather with white trim, brown leather with white trim, rubber, black racing strap, brown racing strap, and two metal versions, so there is plenty of choice, allowing you to regularly adjust the look and feel of the timepiece to suit your style.
At the beginning of this article, we mentioned the reliability of Nivada timepieces and their 100m water resistance. Together with the scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and excellent build quality ensures that you can use the watch in all conditions. The watch also comes with a 2-year warranty.
The price of the Chronoking starts at €640 for the version with a leather strap. The version with a steel strap costs €840. In our opinion, this is excellent value for money.
Specifications
CASE
316L stainless steel 38mm diameter, 13.4mm height, 100m (10 ATM) water resistance, antireflecting saphire glass
Movement
Seiko TMI VK63 meca-quartz.
Functions : Hours, minutes, seconds, 24 hours.
PRICE
Starting at 640 euro on a leather or rubber strap – 2 jaar garantie
REFERENCE
Nivada Chronoking Racing
Conclusion
The reliable Chronoking adapts seamlessly to any type of vehicle or circumstance and is your ideal co-pilot on your next trip.