The series was home to three sub-categories named the Sea Diver, the Aviator and the self-titled Chronomaster. In 1963 Nivada released a waterproof chronograph watch named the Chronomaster. With a heavy-duty diver’s strap and a date window at 3 o’clock, the Antarctic watch was both innovative and practical for its time and gained Nivada its reputation for producing robust and reliable watches. A rotating bezel made it possible for the wearer to measure elapsed time, whilst the hour markers and hands were highly luminous for easy readability in the dark. The lugs that attach to the strap of the Antarctic watch were part of the case and crafted from stainless steel.

This watch would go on to be worn on the wrists of those involved in the US Navy’s Deep Freeze 1 mission to the South Pole from 1955 to 1956. In 1976, his son Max Schneider took over the company which had already produced its first waterproof automatic watch at this point.

The company was first founded in 1926 by Jacob Schneider. To fully appreciate the appeal of Nivada’s original tool watches built for diving and extreme exploration, it is firstly worth delving into the history of the brand.

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