Rare Nivada Grenchen Chronoking Date Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver Date Valjoux 234

[luxuwrist]

The Nivada Grenchen and Croton Chronomasters are becoming a staple in vintage chronographs and for good reason. They’ve got the ingredients for what makes a collectible watch, a sporty case design, water resistance, a rotating bezel, and multiple documented variations featuring different dials and movements.

One of the most sought after variants belongs to the Nivada Chronoking, which added a date at 12 o’clock to the Chronomaster while keeping all that signature style. These tend to be a bit more scarce (and expensive) than the standard Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver, and are all equipped with column wheel Valjoux movements. The Chronoking also came equipped with a very unique dial, featuring grey and almost chromed mirror-like subdials.

These were built back when watches were used as tools, but this example of the Chronoking has remained pretty unscathed, with a very sharp case free from any significant wear. The dial and hands are in wonderful condition with only very minor lume loss in the minute hand which can be seen in the photos.

This identical watch was sold in the Hodinkee watch shop with the wrong bezel insert, a poor aftermarket Submariner style piece. We were able to track down the correct insert for this reference (which was no small task) and are making the watch available at a more wallet-friendly price than that original offering.

Take a look at the pictures and our condition run-down below:

Case: 38mm stainless steel case in excellent condition with crisp lugs and only very minor surface wear as pictured.The crown and pushers appear to be original.

Bezel: 60 minute bidirectional timer bezel in excellent condition with minor scratching and color fading as shown. The bezel insert is correct for the reference and an authentic piece but original to the watch as described above. The bezel ring is original. The bezel insert has some light, even fading to a deep charcoal color.

Dial/Hands: Original dial and handset in wonderful condition as shown. The dial is free from marks or stains. The tritium in the hour plots and hands have faded to a great even creamy patina throughout the dial. The subdials are grey in the inner half with reflective rings for the outer half. The hands are also original and match the dial’s lume plots. There is a small area of missing lume in the minute hand as pictured.

Caseback: Original screw down caseback in excellent condition with only minor surface wear as shown.

Crystal: Domed acrylic crystal in excellent condition as pictured.

Movement: Valjoux 234 manual wind chronograph date movement in excellent condition. Movement is extremely clean and all functions work as they should including the chronograph start, stop, and reset. The watch keeps excellent time although the service history is unknown.

Bracelet/Strap: New vintage style brown leather strap with SS buckle.

Accessories: None, sold as watch only.



















Price is $2250 shipped insured FedEx overnight CONUS via PayPal or wire (3% discount for wire). US sale preferred, international sales will pay the cost of shipping. Face to face in the Boston area also welcome. I have many references available. Please feel free to ask any questions. Thanks for looking!