Tap the image to enlarge
Nivada Grenchen F77 Chrono Mecaquartz MK 38mm Mens Watch Black
Ref. 68002Q77
See more premium optionsHide
Stepping up in the same dial colour
The F77 has existed in Nivada Grenchen's modern line as a pure timepiece; fitting it with a chronograph is not a revival or a reissue but the first time the case has been built to this brief. The decision to pair it with the VK64 mecaquartz is the right one for the format: the movement keeps quartz accuracy while driving the central seconds hand with a smooth mechanical sweep and giving the pushers a positive, clicking action that a conventional quartz chronograph cannot offer. The matte forged carbon dial is a more purposeful surface than the woven texture used elsewhere in the F77 family. Against it, the silver applied indices and the twin subdial layout — sixty-minute counter and 24-hour indicator — read with the kind of contrast that holds up in low light as much as full sun, helped by the box double-dome over the top. At 46.2mm lug-to-lug the case wears close to the wrist for something with this much going on, and the integrated bracelet, tapering from 22mm at the lugs, keeps the whole thing flush rather than mounted.
- Reference
- 68002Q77
- Brand
- Nivada Grenchen
- Case size
- 38mm
- Case thickness
- 12.2mm
- Case material
- Carbon
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- VK64
- Functions
- Chronograph
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 46.2mm
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 2 collections
This watch appears in Chronograph Watches (1,143) and Sports Watches (677).
Temporarily out of stock
Mappin & Webb is not currently taking orders for this reference. Last listed as available on 29 September 2026. Stock is checked nightly and this page updates when it returns.
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 38mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Nivada Grenchen's range as we list it
Nivada Grenchen F77 Chrono Mecaquartz MK alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 68002Q77 | T1019172211600 | YA126410 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £685 | £630 | £599 |
| Case size | 38mm | 38mm | 38mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 50m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for 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?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedWill it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 46.2mm, 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 38mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
More Nivada Grenchen watches like the F77 Chrono Mecaquartz MK
In stock, and close on style and price
