The Chronomaster, with a wardrobe of bezels
By Julien Moreau, Geneva ยท
Few revived brands have done it as convincingly as Nivada Grenchen, and the Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver is the reason. The 1963 original was a chronograph with a diving bezel and a dial that tried to do everything, and the reissue keeps that charming overreach: broad arrow hands, a minute track, a tachymeter in red, the full name printed in small capitals.
This 38 mm version runs on a hand-wound Swiss Landeron 70 chronograph movement and takes snap-on aluminium bezels, so you can switch from black to red or olive without tools. Nivada says the idea comes from a 1960s women's collection, the Coloroma.
A small warning on sizing: 14.55 mm is tall for a 38 mm watch, and the double-domed crystal adds to the profile. It sits higher than its diameter suggests.
At $2,085 with the bezel kit, it is the most fun mechanical chronograph I know under $2,500. Collectors who missed the vintage ones will understand immediately.