Introducing Nivada Grenchen Expands The Aquamar Line With Two Lume Options And Three Dial Variants

Every time a brand releases a watch with a vintage-inspired design featuring warm, creamy luminous material for the indexes or hands, I inevitably cover my eyes, peek between my fingers, and click on the comments section. It barely requires a scroll before I shout out (to no one) in my empty apartment to say, "Honey, the kids are fighting again!" It feels like it's been decades that people have been arguing about "fauxtina"—or as I view it, just a design choice to create a faithful vintage feel—but what if I told you that you can stop fighting? What would you say if I told you that both watches shown below are the same watch?

The Nivada Grenchen Aquamar was a vintage skin diver, a more casual and wearable dive watch style that gained popularity as watersports became more prevalent as a pastime for the average customer. Nivada's Aquamar was originally released in the 1960s and had a date at 3 o'clock, but now that date has been replaced with a trick I don't think has ever been used before in a watch.

Nivada Grenchen has replaced the date disc on the Soprod caliber P024 automatic movement (with a 38-hour power reserve) with a luminous disc that alternates between vintage hues and white Luminova. The disc features an orange outer ring that matches the orange center-seconds hand. Think of it as a sandwich dial (with apertures at the hour markers showing a luminous disc below). With a twist of the crown (as you would do to set the date), you can instantly change from vintage to modern lume. Pretty cool.

The watch measures 38mm by 12.9mm thick, cased in 316L stainless steel with a solid caseback, and with a double-domed sapphire up front. There are three options—a blue or black dial with larger apertures or a grey dial with a slightly different layout. The only potential big point of contention is that the hands can't change the lume color. The black and blue dials have tinted lume, while the grey dial has white luminous hands.

The watch costs $1,050, with various strap options available, and an additional charge for a steel bracelet. Personally, I'd grab one on a tropic strap.

If you can't tell, I have thoughts about the never-ending nature of the "fauxtina" debate. I have also chosen my side. Yes, I know this will probably only further inflame things, but even if the watch (and this article) is like poking the bear a little bit, both the watch and my snark come from a place of love. I think this is a very fun option in a really nice package.

Nivada Grenchen makes great skin divers that are comfortable to wear. I know some folks dislike Soprod movements, but I think that the price is more than fair. I do think that the grey dial might suffer a bit in terms of legibility (the shadows of the top dial seem to cover up much of the index below), but the blue dial with a blue tropical strap is a very nice summer option.

Brand: Nivada Grenchen
Model: Aquamar

Diameter: 38mm
Thickness: 12.9mm
Case Material: 316L Stainless Steel
Dial Color: Grey, blue, or black
Indexes: Sandwich dial and printed
Lume: Creamy "patinated" and white lume
Water Resistance: 200m
Strap/Bracelet: A variety of strap and bracelet options

Caliber: Soprod P024
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, changeable lume
Power Reserve: 38 hours
Winding: Automatic
Chronometer Certified: No
Additional Details: Double-domed sapphire

Price: Starting at $1,050
Availability: Immediately
Limited Edition: No

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