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Nivada Grenchen Depthmaster 39mm Mens Watch Green
Ref. 14103A02
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Stepping up in Nivada Grenchen's range
The Depthmaster is Nivada Grenchen's serious dive proposition, built around a cushion case that gives it an immediately different silhouette from the round tool watches that dominate the category. The Art Deco numerals — the so-called Pacman figures, broad and bold against the green dial — were a deliberate legibility choice rather than a stylistic indulgence, and they read with unusual speed underwater or in low light, where Super-LumiNova does the rest. At 39mm in a cushion form the lug-to-lug sits at 47mm, which wears closer to a 38mm round case on the wrist: more compact than the size suggests, and comfortable for a watch with a 1,000-metre rating. That depth figure is genuine rather than nominal — the automatic helium escape valve at nine o'clock confirms the watch was designed with saturation diving in mind, not simply given an ambitious number for the catalogue. On a leather strap rather than steel it sits quietly for something rated that deep, the cushion case helping it track the wrist rather than stand away from it.
- Reference
- 14103A02
- Brand
- Nivada Grenchen
- Collection
- Depthmaster
- Case size
- 39mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Green
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Unidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 1000m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 47mm
Learn more about Nivada Grenchen
Nivada was founded in Grenchen in 1926 by Otto Wüllimann, Hermann Schindler and Jakob Schneider, registered as Wüllimann, Schneider, Nivada SA. It was among the first Swiss firms to build automatic watches at scale, and it built its reputation on watches meant to be used rather than admired.
American sales came through the Croton Watch Company, an arrangement forced by Movado, which objected to the phonetic similarity of the two names. This is why vintage examples turn up signed Croton, Nivada, or both, and why Grenchen was eventually appended to the name.
The Antarctic of 1950 was the brand's first water-resistant automatic, and it earned its name properly: the model was worn by personnel on the US Navy's Operation Deep Freeze expedition to the South Pole in 1955 and 1956. The Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver followed, a chronograph that tried to be a pilot's watch, a diver and a regatta timer at once, and the Depthmaster reached 1,000 metres.
The quartz crisis ended it. Production in Solothurn closed in the late 1970s, the name changed hands repeatedly, and Nivada Grenchen effectively disappeared while its vintage watches quietly became collectable.
Guillaume Laidet and Rémi Chabrat bought the name and back catalogue in 2018 and relaunched with faithful reissues rather than reinventions — the Chronomaster in 2020, the Antarctic in 2021 — at prices aimed squarely at the microbrand buyer.
- 1926
- Founded in Grenchen as Wüllimann, Schneider, Nivada SA.
- 1950
- The Antarctic, the first water-resistant automatic.
- 1955
- Worn on the US Navy's Operation Deep Freeze.
- 1970s
- Production closes during the quartz crisis.
- 2018
- Laidet and Chabrat buy the name and relaunch the brand.
Also in 7 collections
This watch appears in the Nivada Grenchen Depthmaster range (5), Back in Stock (4,154), Stainless Steel Watches (2,848), Automatic Watches (1,518), Sports Watches (677), Dive Watches (471) and Green Dial Watches (387).
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What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch built to be worn hard and got wet.
Strengths
- 1000m water resistance, rated for actual diving
- 39mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Nivada Grenchen Depthmaster alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 14103A02 | SPB507J1 | C0374071728010 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £985 | £850 | £930 |
| Case size | 39mm | 39.5mm | 43mm |
| Water resistance | 1000m | — | 500m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | — | Rubber strap |
| Power reserve | — | 72 hours | 80 hours |
| This watch |
|
|
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Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 1000m it is rated for swimming, snorkelling and recreational diving.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedWhat size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 47mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 39mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £985, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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