Amongst the plethora of modern watchmakers that we all love and enjoy, there lies an enormous number of dormant or extinct watchmakers that have been lost to the sands of times thanks to industry shifts, poor business acumen or a combination of both mixed with the onslaught that the Quartz Crisis brought along in the 1970s and ‘80s. Within that large group of brands lies one watchmaker that has recently been revived, Nivada Grenchen. Founded in 1926, or as far back as 1879 depending on the source you consult, the brand found success in tool watches and robust timepieces capable of carrying out specific tasks like chronographs and dive watches. One such watch was the Depthmaster, released in 1965 – a robust dive watch, that boasted an incredible – for then and still today – 1000m of water resistance. When Nivada Grenchen succumbed to the Quartz Crisis however, it was no more. Revived in 2018, Nivada Grenchen has come back with like a phoenix rising from their ashes and brought along several of their iconic vintage designs just like the stainless steel Depthmaster that we have here. Boasting a 38mm cushion case, the Depthmaster was a large watch for its time, that benefitted from a thick steel bezel and a black dial with large luminous Arabic indices that made it all the more legible in the dark depths in which it would operate. Featuring a date window and powered by an automatic movement, the Depthmaster is a supremely legible and functional timepiece, even by today’s standards.

Watch is in excellent ovearll condition. Case shows light signs of wear, no major dings or scratches. The crystal shows some surface scratches. Dial excellent with a bight red 1000 and nicely aged luminous with matching hands.

An iconic dive watch on account of its impressive water resistance, the Depthmaster has become a cult-favourite thanks to the unfortunate demise of its maker, whose revival has only stoked the flames of its popularity.