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In the golden age of the tool watch, some brands built for the sea, and others for the sky. And then there was Nivada Grenchen—a fiercely innovative and often underrated manufacturer that decided to build a watch for everything. This is that watch: the Chronograph Aviator Sea Diver, or “CASD.” It is, in our opinion, the absolute pinnacle of the “do-everything” tool watch, a masterpiece of ambitious, hyper-functional design.
Nivada Grenchen in the 1960s was a powerhouse of professional watchmaking, creating instruments built to withstand the harshest conditions imaginable. The CASD was their magnum opus, a watch whose incredible capability is spelled out right in its name. Let’s break it down: Chronograph for timing events, powered by a robust manual-winding Valjoux caliber. Aviator for the skies, with a bidirectional 12-hour bezel for tracking a second time zone. Sea Diver for the depths, with a 60-minute countdown scale on that same bezel and a water-resistant “skin diver” case. This was the Swiss Army knife of its day.
This particular example is a stunning specimen, featuring the single most desirable configuration for a vintage CASD: the “Broad Arrow” handset. That massive, lume-filled hour hand wasn’t just a stylistic choice; it was engineered for maximum, instantaneous legibility in the worst possible conditions, from a murky dive to a dark cockpit. It’s an iconic and aggressive look that collectors actively hunt for.
The watch is a true survivor. The matte black dial is in fantastic, honest condition, with its registers and tachymeter scale remaining sharp and clear. The tritium lume on the dial and hands has aged to a beautiful, warm patina, a clear sign of its vintage authenticity. Most importantly, the stainless steel case appears to be unpolished, retaining the original sharp chamfers and factory lines that are so often lost over time. This is exactly the kind of honest, well-preserved condition that gets our blood pumping.
The Nivada Grenchen CASD has rightfully earned its place as a legend among vintage chronograph enthusiasts. It offers all the purpose-built functionality and rugged good looks of its more famous contemporaries, but in a package that is somehow even more ambitious. This is a huge amount of watch, a testament to a brand at the peak of its powers, and a perfect companion for any adventure you can throw at it.
