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Nivada Grenchen F77 MK2 38mm Mens Watch Blue
Ref. 68047A77
Sits in Nivada Grenchen’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Nivada Grenchen watches we list, which start at £560.
Price range £560 to £2,310 across 35 Nivada Grenchen watches in stock.The F77 first appeared in the late 1970s as a Swiss sport watch built around an octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet — dressed enough for an office, robust enough for the mountains. The MK2 revival, launched in 2023, keeps the eight-screw bezel and that essential architecture while refining everything underneath: the lugs curve more naturally, the profile drops to 12.2mm, and the bracelet is redesigned for better ergonomics. Drilled lugs mean strap changes without tools, which the original never offered. What separates this particular reference from its siblings is the dial, which is cut from genuine aventurine stone. The metallic inclusions suspended through the mineral read differently under every light source — flat and near-black in a dim room, then scattered with fine points of reflected light when the sun catches it at an angle. No two stones are cut with identical particle distribution, so no two dials look quite alike. Against this, the applied silver indexes and white Super-LumiNova dots are deliberately legible, keeping the dial functional rather than purely decorative. At 38mm with a 46.2mm lug-to-lug, the case sits compactly on the wrist, and the slim profile means it clears a shirt cuff without forcing the sleeve up. The Soprod P024 inside is a solid Swiss automatic — a credible alternative to the ETA 2824-2 it was designed to replace, beating at 28,800vph with a hacking seconds function.
- Reference
- 68047A77
- Brand
- Nivada Grenchen
- Case size
- 38mm
- Case thickness
- 12.2mm
- Lug width
- 22mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- ETA 2824
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Origin
- Swiss made
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 4 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,007), Stainless Steel Watches (2,833), Automatic Watches (1,417) and Blue Dial Watches (780).
Best of 2 retailers
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
- One of Nivada Grenchen's more premium watches
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 | 68047A77 | R12160103 | GMT-BLK-BLK-AQ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,450 | £1,400 | £1,450 |
| Case size | 38mm | 38mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | — | 80 hours | 42 hours |
| 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?
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.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £1,450, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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