Nivada Grenchen Releases Second Gen F77 With Slimmer Case; Mido's Sporty Multifort Skeleton Chrono; Raketa’s Amphibia Is A Super-Chunky Diver; H. Moser & Cie. Adds Hammered Turquoise Enamel Dial

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. A bit of a shorter one today, but there are two things I’m going to direct your attention to — that Raketa is pretty cool and I’m finishing the three-part series on Indian watchmaking. I put a lot of research into that, so check it out if you’re interested.

In this issue:

• Nivada Grenchen Releases Second Generation F77, Now In A Slimmer And Better Fitting Case

• Mido Goes Very Modern And Very Sporty With The New Multifort Skeleton Chronograph

• Raketa’s Amphibia Is A Super-Chunky, Super-Capable Dive Watch

• Get Lost In The H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Turquoise Enamel Dial

👂What’s new

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Nivada Grenchen Releases Second Generation F77, Now In A Slimmer And Better Fitting Case

So, we all know what modern Nivada Grenchen is all about, right? In 2020, watch entrepreneur Guillaume Laidet revived the defunct brand with a simple mission — recreate their most legendary designs with modern specs. And that formula proved to be a huge hit, with release after release. For their latest, Nivada is set on updating a watch they already released in 2023, the F77. This integrated-bracelet sports watch that came out first in the late 1970s, heavily influenced by Genta’s design on the Royal Oak, now gets a Mark II, with a brand new case and two new finishes.

The new case looks very similar to the previous one, with the octagonal bezel that has eight exposed screws, but has been reworked in the best possible way. The lugs are now much more angled down, which makes for a better wearing experience. The size proportions have also changed. Sure, the watch is a millimeter wider than the 2023 version, now measuring 38mm wide, but it’s also thinner. Not by much — 12.2mm instead of the previous 12.65mm — but that, with the angled lugs, should make ti much more wearable. The lug-to-lug measures 46.2mm. On top is a double-domed sapphire crystal and you can get the case in one of two finishes — a steel brushed and polished finish or a 18k yellow gold plated one. Water resistance is 100 meters.

Both finishes get the same flat onyx dial, which is pitch black, applied stick indices and new dauphine-shaped hands. You gat a lollipop-style seconds hand, an applied logo and a lot of lume. You can also choose between having a date or not, which is always appreciated.

Inside, there are no changes. It’s the Soprod P024 automatic movement, an alternative to the ETA 2824. It beats at 4Hz and has a 38 hour power reserve. The watches also get redesigned integrated three-link bracelets, matched to the material of the case, and it finally gets a tool-free micro-adjusting clasp.

The new Nivada Grenchen F77 Mark II is available for pre-order now and priced at €1,665 for the steel version and €1,865 for the gold plated version. You can see more on the Nivada Grenchen website.

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Mido Goes Very Modern And Very Sporty With The New Multifort Skeleton Chronograph

While some other brands in the Swatch Group have their fair share of experimentation and release of watches that cause some head scratching, it seems that Mido is just coming out with banger, after banger, after banger. Their Multifort TV Big Date oozes 70s cool, and the Ocean Star line is incredible. The Tribute is a great diver, the GMT might be the best looking one on the market for the price and the Decompression Worldtimer is just a breath-taker. And lately, it seems like they are dead set on developing the Multifort line into their most diverse offering. The latest release in the collection is a very sporty, very modern, take on the classic chronograph. This is the new Mido Multifort Skeleton Chronograph.

The case is familiar, simple and not small at all. It measures a substantial 43mm wide, 14.4mm thick and has a lug-to-lug of 50.67mm. The long-ish L2L comes from the spindly lugs that extend from the fully round case and the overall finish is satin brushed with polished details. Sapphire crystals are on both sides of the case and on the right side you’ll find flat and well integrated pushers to operate the chronograph function. Water resistance is 100 meters.

There are two dial options, an anthracite and a blue version, but there isn’t much of a dial here. Around the perimeter is a sloping flange with a tachymetre scale, followed by several satin brushed anthracite or blue and silver rings that hold the markers. There are three sub-dials in a traditional 3, 6, and 9 configuration, with cutouts in it to show of the internals. Time is indicated with satin brushed tri-faceted hour and minute hands.

Inside, you’ll find the Caliber 60, a skeletonized automatic movement based on the ETA A05.951. It features a Nivachron balance spring, beats at 4Hz and has a 60 hour power reserve. It’s decorated with circular-grained bridges and a skeletonized rotor with the Mido logo. The anthracite version comes on a polished and satin-finished stainless steel bracelet with a folding clasp, and the blue version gets a dark blue rubber strap.

The new Mido Multifort Skeleton Chronograph is available now, priced at CHF 2,270 on rubber and CHF 2,300 on the stainless steel. See more on the Mido website.

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Raketa’s Amphibia Is A Super-Chunky, Super-Capable Dive Watch

I really don’t remember the last time I’ve written about a Raketa watch. Which is a bit of a shame. Sure, it carries the stigma of being a Russian watch, but some of the things they’ve been putting out under new management have been really interesting. Take, for example, this new Raketa Amphibia, with quite a unique look, especially for a brand that’s best known for their space and aviation themed watches.

The case of the new Raketa Amphibia looks like it’s built to survive an apocalypse, and survive it underwater at that. It’s a chunky piece of steel that measures 41.6mm wide and 14.9mm thick, with sharp flat surfaces and exaggerated cut-off lugs. The case is brushed with two broad facets on the side that look polished. On top is an oversized uni-directional bezel with widely-spaced notches and a black insert that looks to be made out of matte ceramic. It’s fully graduated, with the first 15 minutes having white markers at every minute, and the rest having orange markers.

The display is simple, but has the same rugged look. At 12 is an oversized 0 marker, while the rest of the markers are applied circle and bathtub indexes deeply filled with lume. You get plongeur style hands, filled with lume, and an orange outline on the minute hand.

Inside, you get a movement I’m not familiar with at all. It’s a manufacture from the Raketa Watch Factory called the calibre 2615. I’ll have to read up on that. But from what I gather, it’s an automatic that beats at 2.5Hz, has a 40 hour power reserve and is accurate to -10/+20 seconds per day. Through the caseback you can see the rotor that’s decorated with an illustration of a topless mermaid. The watch comes on an orange rubber strap that has full-length perforations for best fit.

The new Raketa Amphibia is available now, priced at €2,200. See more on the Raketa website.

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Get Lost In The H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Turquoise Enamel Dial

H. Moser & Cie. is certainly best known for their minimalist takes on beautiful dials, even in their regular lineup. But look at their Concept sub-collection and you’ll see them take it to it’s absolute extreme, with nothing on the dial except for hands and an aperture if there is a tourbillon used. And one is used in the new Endeavour Tourbillon Concept which embraces métiers d’art to the max to produce a turquoise hammered Grand Feu fumé dial.

The new Endeavour Tourbillon Concept comes in a 40mm wide and 11.2mm thick case made out of red gold. It’s a simple case, but incredibly beautiful. A combination of brushed and polished surfaces give the red gold a great look. On top is a flat and fixed red gold bezel that holds down a sapphire crystal.

But the case is less important, other than the red gold working beautifully with the red gold. The base is made out of white gold and given a hammer texture before getting many, many, layers of enamel. Three different pigments are required to produce the iconic fumé or gradient effect. And since there are no indices or writing on the dial, it’s all about that incredible texture and color, as well as leaf-shaped hour and minute hands in red gold and the aperture at 6 o’clock that displays a tourbillon under a skeletonised bridge.

Inside you’ll find the calibre HMC 805 which beats at 3Hz and has a 72 hour power reserve. While it’s beautiful movement, with an anthracite grey finish with Moser double stripes and a skeletonized 18k gold rotor, there’s something very cool with the tourbillon. It’s a one-minute flying tourbillon equipped with a double hairspring that’s made by sister company Precision Engineering. The watch comes on a grey ostrich leather strap with a red gold clasp.

The new H. Moser and Cie. Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Turquoise Enamel is available now at CHF 75,000 without taxes. See more on the Moser website.

SPECIAL FEATURE: The Next Chapter — Indian Watches for a Global Generation

I’ve teamed up with the very fine folks over at Bangalore Watch Company to bring you a three-part series on Indian watchmaking, from the British occupation and the invention of the JLC Reverso, through homebrew mass production, the rise of the Mumbai special, all the way to the modern rise of Indian brands.

Today, I’m publishing part three, on how Bangalore Watch Company is ushering a brand new era for the local watch scene. Read it here.

⏲️Wait a minute

A bunch of links that might or might not have something to do with watches. One thing’s for sure - they’re interesting

• Hundreds of conscripted North Africans were sent to fight France’s war in Indochina — instead they found a new life in Southeast Asia. That’s why Vietnam still has a village of Moroccan defectors today.

• Magnus Carlsen hated homework and blossomed when he no longer had to go to school. Today, he plays chess according to a new set of rules and is engaged in an ongoing battle with the World Chess Federation. What is driving him?

• The great Yiddish writer Chava Rosenfarb records the first days after her liberation, in a stunning document of survival.

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

Seikos really are the Toyotas of watches.

Thanks for reading,
Vuk