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Nivada Grenchen F77 MK2 38mm Mens Watch White
Ref. 68046A77-DR
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Stepping up in Nivada Grenchen's range
The original F77 arrived in 1977 as Nivada Grenchen's answer to the integrated-bracelet moment that the Royal Oak had set in motion — an octagonal bezel, eight exposed screws, a case and bracelet conceived as a single architectural object. The Mark II, released after the brand's 2020 relaunch, is not a replica of that watch but a considered revision of the 2023 revival: 1mm wider at 38mm, nearly half a millimetre thinner at 12.2mm, with lugs recut to curve more closely around the wrist and drilled through so the bracelet or strap can be swapped without sending it anywhere. The white dial is tressed — an embossed basket-weave that catches raking light and gives the surface movement without colour, the kind of texture that photographs badly and reads far better in person. Dauphine hands replace the baton hands of the earlier model, and with no date window the dial reads cleanly across its full width. The SOPROD P024 sits behind all of this with its balance wheel visible at six o'clock, a small transparency that rewards attention without performing for it. At 42 hours of reserve, per Nivada Grenchen's own figures, it will sit unworn over a weekend and restart without complaint.
- Reference
- 68046A77-DR
- Brand
- Nivada Grenchen
- Case size
- 38mm
- Case thickness
- 12.2mm
- Lug width
- 22mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Dial
- White
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- Soprod P024
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
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 3 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,007), Stainless Steel Watches (2,833) and Automatic Watches (1,417).
Temporarily out of stock
Mappin & Webb is not currently taking orders for this reference. Last listed as available on 26 September 2026. Stock is checked nightly and this page updates when it returns.
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 38mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Nivada Grenchen F77 MK2 alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 68046A77-DR | T1378079608100 | H70405130 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,030 | £960 | £935 |
| Case size | 38mm | 38mm | 38mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | — | — | 80 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched | 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?
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?
22mm. 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.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 38mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
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