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Nivada Grenchen F77 MK2 38mm Mens Watch Grey
Ref. 68049A77
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 began life in the late 1970s as a geometric sports watch built around an octagonal bezel and an integrated bracelet — the kind of piece that moved between ski lodge and boardroom without looking out of place in either. Nivada Grenchen revived it in 2023, and the MK2 is the refined second pass: the lugs are more curved for a better fit, the profile drops to 12.2mm, and the bracelet has been redesigned for ergonomics. Drilled lugs make strap changes straightforward, and the open balance visible at six o'clock is new to this generation. What separates this reference from its siblings — the lapis, the onyx, the solid-colour dials — is the material itself. The dial is cut from the Muonionalusta meteorite, an iron octahedrite found in northern Sweden that represents a genuinely rare classification, roughly 5.7% of all meteorites recovered on Earth. Acid etching reveals the Widmanstätten pattern, the interlocking kamacite and taenite bands that formed slowly in space over millions of years, and because that structure varies across the mass, no two dials read the same way. The eight exposed screws on the octagonal bezel and the alternating brushed and polished surfaces of the case give the watch its own visual rigour; the meteorite sits within that geometry rather than fighting it.
- Reference
- 68049A77
- Brand
- Nivada Grenchen
- Case size
- 38mm
- Case thickness
- 12.2mm
- Lug width
- 22mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- ETA 2824
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Butterfly clasp
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
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 2 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,833) and Automatic Watches (1,417).
Temporarily out of stock
Goldsmiths 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
- 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 | 68049A77 | 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.
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