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If you happen to’ve been following the classic watch market, even peripherally, it’s been unimaginable to disregard the skyrocketing costs. Positive, there’s at all times been a marketplace for classic items from the massive Swiss manufacturers — Rolex, Omega, Zenith, and so forth. — however as these watches turned an increasing number of unattainable, savvy collectors seemed to the darker, dustier corners of the classic market to unearth some underrated beauties from the previous. Amongst these gems are watches from the multitudinous victims of the quartz disaster — manufacturers that made high quality automated and manual-wind watches however had been unable to compete when cheap, correct quartz watches started dominating the market. But, even these gems from long-extinct manufacturers had been quickly mined with costs hovering as these historic items had been unearthed and rediscovered by the classic market.
Capitalizing on the renewed curiosity in classic (and vintage-inspired) watches, a few of these long-defunct manufacturers, corresponding to Nivada Grenchen, have been resurrected and begun to provide re-issues of heritage items from their lineup. And let’s face it, as satisfying as it may be to gather classic watches, not everyone seems to be within the challenges that include the method and need a sturdy, dependable watch with all the trendy accouterments (sapphire crystal, excessive water resistance, fashionable motion). That’s precisely what Nivada has produced in its re-issue of the Nivada Antarctic.
First produced in 1950, the Nivada Antarctic was the model’s first automated, waterproof wristwatch and was designed to accompany members of the American Navy’s Deep Freeze 1 expedition to the South Pole that passed off in 1955-1956. If the aesthetics of Nivada Antarctic and the connection to frigid-weather exploration appear to ring some acquainted bells and make you consider the Rolex Explorer, you’re not far off the mark. It was solely two years earlier, in 1953, that Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made the primary ascent of Everest. Positive, Amundsen had already reached the South Pole in 1911, so the Deep Freeze expedition doesn’t have the identical cachet, however similar to the Rolex Explorer (OK, the Oyster Perpetual that might later change into the Explorer), the Nivada Antarctic was purpose-built for excessive situations.
Although the Nivada Antarctic retains many of the stylistic cues of the unique, it does up the dimensions from 34mm to a extra fashionable 38mm — a dimension that ought to work for a wide range of wrists, but retains a little bit of that classic allure. Add to {that a} modest 11.5mm case peak, curved lugs, and 20mm lug width, and the size are spot-on for this classic re-issue. The stainless-steel case options a mixture of brushed and polished surfaces, with bevelling and sharp strains including visible curiosity and holding the case from wanting utilitarian. Flip the watch over and also you’re greeted with a deeply engraved golden inlay on the caseback that pays tribute to the Deep Freeze Expedition. It’s a captivating contact. Conserving the watch operating is the Sellita SW200-1 automated motion, a Swiss clone of the ETA 2824-2 that options 28.8kbph, a 38-hour energy reserve, and a date perform — definitely a strong selection of motion on the sub-$1,000 value level.
The Antarctic is offered in a number of totally different colorways and choices. Right here, we’re wanting on the grey (although I’d name it extra of a silver/white) and cream dial variations, however you even have a selection of black or blue. All are completed with gentle vertical brushing, including texture to the dial. The Antarctic line consists of date/no date choices, Arabic numerals at 3, 6, 9, and 12, or an easier structure with elongated diamond indices and an Arabic numeral solely at 12. The numerals are a cool aspect with a novel swooping typography that feels each bit mid-century. The dauphine palms play properly with the diamond indices and, whereas the shortage of lume might be a damaging for some, it does end in a sturdy watch that may costume up extra simply than a traditional sports activities watch — very like a overwhelming majority of Grand Seiko watches.
The Nivada Antarctic comes with a spread of strap choices together with a number of colours of leather-based, a beads of rice bracelet, or the expandable three-link bracelet featured right here (consider the traditional Speidel Twist-o-Flex bracelets). The three-link goes to be a love-it-or-hate-it affair, because it comes with a veritable guidelines of components that get watch nerds frothing: rivets on the hyperlinks (very like the Tudor Black Bay 58), straight end-links that don’t contour to the case, fast launch spring bars, and polished middle hyperlinks. The result’s a bracelet that appears very a lot of the period, however whether or not that’s a very good or unhealthy factor will most likely come right down to how you’re feeling about classic watches usually. Personally, I’d be probably to put on the Antarctic on leather-based, however there’s no denying the consolation of expandable bracelets.
The Nivada Antarctic is a welcome classic re-issue, particularly seeing because the final a number of years have been dominated by Seventies-inspired dive watches. The simplicity of the dial and design make it a flexible choice that may simply be dressed up and although few individuals are prone to be heading right down to Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station anytime quickly, the Antarctic will definitely be greater than able to some outside adventuring. The Nivada Antarctic is priced at 830 CHF on bracelet or 650 CHF on leather-based and extra info might be discovered on the model’s web site.
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