Marble shatters and iron bends, but our love for steel watches is as strong as ever. Probably no other metal is more popular for wristwatches today. In reissuing the Nivada Grenchen F77, is opening a new chapter in its unfurling history – perhaps one of the most consequential.
Nivada Grenchen is launching nothing short of a democratic revolution. While ‘sport chic’ steel watches with integrated bracelets are either waiting list-only or breaking price records at auctions, the F77 is a Swiss Made reissue of a 1977 classic that is uncompromising on design and finish quality! Starting 7 April 2023, the F77 will be available at 1.150 $ / 1.078 CHF / 1.089 € on the Nivada Grenchen website.
Guillaume Laidet, a prospector panning for vintage gold
The story of this reissue began on Instagram over a year ago, in late winter, a vintage watch collector posted a photo of what had become a very rare Nivada Grenchen model: an F77, 37mm in diameter with a black basket weave dial, the real deal. That day, like a prospector panning for gold in the river of data, Guillaume Laidet, CEO of the brand (who scrolls an average of 800 meters per day on his smartphone) was flipping through the images on his screen. That day, he came face to face with the F77, a watch he’d never seen before.
A horological epiphany
The F77 is a rare gem and the story pure Hollywood. For Guillaume, a “seeker who finds”, it’s love at first sight. The providential scroll on that day a year ago proves that in the mid-1970s, the one steel sports watch that was all the rage at the time had evidently caught Nivada Grenchen’s fancy. Guillaume is smiling; he’s on to something…
With its basket weave dial, fully integrated steel bracelet and octagonal bezel, the slim and sleek F77 has the typical look of the sportwatches from the 70’s. Nivada Grenchen’s F77, too, is a very rare vintage piece, almost impossible to find. Its design cleverly plays with contrasting shapes: a round dial framed by an octagonal bezel that rests on a circular edge. The aesthetic cues and codes are all there.
As luck would have it, the watch in the post for sale and Guillaume buys it on the spot. Then he continues his research, spending hours scouring social media. Until he discovers one with a deep blue dial, and another one in an exceptional brown Tobacco “smoke version” where the light playing on the dial was simply mesmerizing.
He also finds out that, in the late 70s and early 80s, Nivada Grenchen had released a whole line of watches named after car models… Nivada GLX, F77, F2 and SP. Each model was produced in different versions. Stainless-steel watches mainly fell into the category of tool watches, which Nivada Grenchen was a synonym for; in other words, watches worn for work. That perception would soon evolve, as steel watches increasingly accessorize an elegant outfit.
As usual, Guillaume quickly takes the temperature with his Instagram community by posting a wrist shot of the original F77. No sooner is his wonderful find on the web than he faces a flood of likes and comments. A few hours later, Guillaume decides to put this nugget at the top of his product plan for 2023. While intelligently polling his community (some might say teasing), he quickly understands that several versions will have to be reissued: with a choice of blue, black or smoked dial, with and without date. Guillaume Laidet is part of this generation of entrepreneurs who listen to their community. Better yet, Guillaume often involves the community in the process of creating the product, inviting suggestions for functions or design options. It’s a direct, committee-free process.
Stainless-steel watches remained quite exclusive until the late 1960s due to the high cost and effort involved in the production and processing of this extremely robust metal. In 1977, Nivada Grenchen was one of the first brands to offer an elegant sports model in stainless steel, with an octagonal bezel and integrated steel bracelet. The F77’s design soon become known for the delightful interplay of straight lines and curves and its alternating polished and satin-finished surfaces. It was the embodiment of ‘sporty chic’, perfectly complementing formal wear as well.
“Steel watches are known and appreciated by almost everyone. But they are often sold for the price of gold,” explains Guillaume Laidet. “The F77 is a true democratizer of stainless-steel watches with an integrated bracelet”.
F77: A sleeping beauty awakens
Available only with a 316L stainless steel bracelet, the F77 is reissued in 37mm to remain faithful to the original piece. It is equipped with a ‘carbon effect’ basket weave dial with substantial baton indexes. The baton-style hour and minute echo the clean sleekness of the steel case. At 12.65mm makes it an extremely fine piece to wear. Four references open the ball with two dial colors: black or blue dial with or without date window. The smoked “brown tobacco” version will arrive later this year in a second wave of pre-orders. The F77 is powered by a Swiss made SOPROD P024 automatic movement, available with or without date (without ghost position), with a power reserve of 38 hours.
A 77-hour window for pre-orders on April 7, 2023
Since its digital rebirth more than 2 years ago, Nivada has blossomed with a growing online community, especially on Instagram. Since its relaunch, the brand’s business model has been building on successive and time-limited capsule collections, offered exclusively online via a pre-order system. A smart and virtuous entrepreneurial model, as Guillaume Laidet, the brand’s co-owner, points out:
“Our desire is to produce watches that are as close to the originals as possible and still affordable,” he explains. “Nivada Grenchen has no shortage of sleeping beauties waiting to be revived,” he says.
All four versions of the F77 will be available in pre-order for 77 hours, for the price of 1.150 $ / 1.078 CHF / 1.089 € on April 7, 2023, exclusively at nivadagrenchenofficial.com. Only the pre-ordered watches will be numbered. The order desk will open at 5:00 pm CET (11:00 am EST) sharp.
Model F77
Available versions Black or Blue dial
Diameter 37mm
Thickness 12.6mm
Case material 316L stainless steel
Case finish Alternating satin-brushed, polished
Crown Screw-down
Movement functions Hours, minutes, seconds (date optional)
Power reserve 38 hours
Movement SOPROD P024, Automatic (date optional)
Crystal Sapphire, double dome
Water-resistance 10 ATM
Price 1.150 $ / 1.078 CHF / 1.089 €
