The Nivada Grenchen Super Antarctic Polar for Ace Jewelers

In 2020, Guillaume Laidet breathed new life into Nivada Grenchen, unveiling heritage-inspired models like the Chronomaster and the Antarctic. The brand’s resurgence continued with modern interpretations and reissues, including the Super Antarctic series, the brand’s take on the exploration watch. The collaboration with Dutch retailer Ace Jewelers has given rise to the latest release, the Super Antarctic Polar, a testament to Nivada’s enduring appeal and commitment to its fans – and if you’re a recurring reader of MONOCHROME, you should know that a Polar explorer watch is something dear to our hearts. 

The Super Antarctic Polar is presented in a familiar brushed and polished 38mm stainless steel case, 12mm thick and with a lug-to-lug distance of 45mm. The case is a three-part construction, topped with a double-domed sapphire crystal and with cool scalloped lugs. It features a closed caseback with a golden medallion, a tribute to the vintage Antarctic models, which had a similar decorative element at one point. With a water resistance of 100m, the timepiece aligns with Nivada’s Super Antarctic series standards.

What distinguishes this Ace Jewelers Polar edition is its matte white dial adorned with silver-coloured applied indices. Triangular markers grace 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock, while baton indices occupy the remaining positions. A classic minute track runs the dial’s edge, and era-accurate silver sword and lollipop hands indicate the hours and minutes. The central second hand, painted in a vibrant orange hue, pays tribute to Ace Jeweler’s Dutch national colour, and it is the colour frequently used by polar explorers for visibility against icy landscapes. Naturally, hands and indices are treated with luminescence.

Driving the Nivada Grenchen Super Antarctic Polar is the reliable automatic Soprod P024 calibre. This movement shares qualities with the ETA 2824-2 and is frequently employed across Nivada’s current models. Operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, the Soprod P024 ensures a power reserve of 38 hours.

Presented with a beads-of-rice stainless steel bracelet, the Super Antarctic Polar also includes a complimentary orange NATO textile strap as part of the purchase.

This new Nivada timepiece once again encapsulates the essence of adventure and discovery, offering a vintage feel akin to a classic timepiece, drawing inspiration from mid-century exploration watches. Bearing a notable resemblance to an iconic watch of that era – the elusive Rolex Explorer with a white dial – only enhances its appeal, testifying to refined taste and marketing skill. 

This Super Antarctic Polar limited edition of 50 pieces is exclusively available at the Ace & Dik boutique in Amsterdam and on acejewelers.com, priced at EUR 1,155 (including 21% VAT) within the EU and EUR 955 (excluding VAT) outside the EU.