Discover the Nivada Grenchen F77: Resurrected in Titanium

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Nivada Grenchen simultaneously looks skyward and breaks new ground: Not only is the F77 resurrected in titanium, it also comes in four stunning new dial variants: Anthracite, Aventurine, Lapis Lazuli, and…Genuine Meteorite

There’s no time like the present – Nivada Grenchen veers off its classic vintage path with the reinvention of its best-selling 70s stainless steel icon, opting instead for the enhanced lightness and comfort of titanium grade 5; 86 grams for titanium versus 126 grams for steel. The shift came so naturally, it makes you wonder if it was intended all along.

But there’s more: a series of superb dials, from a reinterpretation of the iconic basket weave to exotic stones from deep earth and deep space. In all, Nivada Grenchen is proud to present four new iterations – uncannily lightweight, robust and great-looking – of the iconic design in a 37 mm case with an integrated bracelet:

F77 Titanium grade 5 ‘Anthracite’ – 37 mm, basket-weave dial in anthracite gray
F77 Stainless Steel ‘Aventurine’ – 37mm, dial cut from genuine aventurine
F77 Stainless Steel ‘Lapis Lazuli’ – 37mm, dial cut from genuine lapis lazuli
and in a special Limited Edition (available only during the pre-order period)
F77 Titanium grade 5 ‘Meteorite’ – 37mm, dial cut from genuine meteorite

Touching the future

In March 2023, a year ago almost to the day, Guillaume Laidet, the CEO of Nivada Grenchen, woke the sleeping beauty that was the F77. Quickly recognized as one of the best integrated-bracelet watches on the market for those on a budget, it won over the watch community in a heartbeat. Fast-forward to April 2024: the brand takes the unprecedented and unexpected step of introducing a titanium version along with new dials, including exotic hard stone, a fresh take on the iconic basket-weave motif, and genuine meteorite. Note to Enthusiasts: The meteorite dial version will be available only during the pre-order period.

F77 – A bestseller reaches escape velocity

Over the past four years, the 37-year-old entrepreneur has been transforming Nivada Grenchen into a best-seller maker. The F77, the brand’s latest horological gem emerged as its top-selling watch of 2023, propelling Nivada Grenchen into the spotlight – and on the radar of a whole new clientele. The F77’s resounding success is no accident, but rather the inevitable result of unwavering focus and dedication – and exceptional intuition. Guillaume Laidet, the architect – and builder – of this achievement, keeps it simple: “I don’t go out looking for customers for my watches. I just make watches for my customers. The two strategies are very different.” And judging by the way the reissue resonated with the community, it’s easy to see why Guillaume chose to expand the F77 collection.

Celebrating the future with retro-innovation

Back in 1977, Nivada Grenchen was already setting standards with its elegant all-steel sport-chic model. Today, the F77 continues this legacy with its thoughtful design, sophisticated lines and meticulous finishing. But rather than dwelling on the past, Nivada Grenchen takes the collection to the next level. Where vintage usually means nostalgia, the F77 looks to the future with a futuristic and innovative approach.

A desire for lightness

Guillaume Laidet actively uses the products he has a hand in bringing to market. The more he wore his F77, the more he wondered about its weight. Judging it to be a tad on the heavy side, he set about rethinking it in a lighter version. Which led him to consider titanium. The first prototype exceeded all expectations, and Guillaume knew he was on to something. The extreme lightness of the titanium version (86 grams compared to 126 grams for the steel version) has made it the ideal choice for the most demanding customers.

Moreover, the metal’s out-of-this-world gray hue awakened the explorer – or was it the astronaut? – in him, which led him to imagine a meteorite dial, which in turn led to the other two hard stone iterations. And why not take a closer look at the iconic basket-weave dial? It was a subtle, discreet evolution that came as naturally as it did unexpectedly. In hindsight, a strategic choice, which testifies to Guillaume’s ability to anticipate what customers want, always keeping one step ahead.

Out of the blue

Enhanced with a fragment of material from space, the F77 with a meteorite dial carries an air of eternity. Its metallic grey geometric patterns and texture effects – reminiscent of French painter Pierre Soulages’s style – evoke an aesthetic emotion, an energy that is more than special. Indeed, it makes each watch unique, as no two dial patterns are alike.

Exquisitely down-to-earth, touching the heavens

Where the meteorite dial beckons to wonder about the picture beyond our planet, the aventurine and lapis lazuli versions remind us of the treasures right under our feet – while hinting at the heavens above. The former, of the deepest green, created in a process of crystallization over eons and eons, gives us a distinctive, shimmering effect – its name comes from the Italian ‘a ventura,’ which means ‘by chance,’ but that’s a whole other story. The latter, lapis lazuli, is an intensely blue ornamental stone composed of several minerals, a testament to the complex and dynamic processes that occur across the ages within Earth’s crust. It, too, has spanned epochs without losing its splendor, from mosaics to decorative arts.

…and a dial that is closer to home

When the F77 was first introduced in 1977, its full stainless steel design with an integrated bracelet turned heads. What captured everybody’s attention was its pairing with an unusual dial: a basket-weave motif in a deep blue whose rich texture made it come alive under the sapphire crystal. It would become a distinctive hallmark and a conversation starter from a mile away. While experimenting with titanium for a contemporary reissue, Guillaume began to see the iconic dial in a new light, specifically a shade of gray… The F77 ‘Anthracite’ embodies the spirit of the original, the lighter, advanced material of its case and bracelet perfectly paired with the deep and moody color of its dial, slightly lighter than black, with cool undertones of blue and purple.

37 mm, full metal, integrated bracelet

It may sound like something from ballistics or aerospace engineering, but summarizes the foundational elements of the F77. This new series of four watches, like last year’s reissue, has a case diameter of 37 mm. It, too, features extra-thick baton-shaped and faceted hour markers. Also silvered, the baton-shaped hour and minute hands echo the muscular vibe of the titanium case. Its overall height of 12.65 mm makes it an eminently wearable timepiece. This F77, powered by an automatic Swiss-made SOPROD P024 movement with a 38-hour power reserve, features no date to better allow the four dials to pop.