Food For Thought With The Nivada Grenchen Antarctic 35mm — Should We Go Back To “Small” Tool Watches?
I have a deep-running fondness for Nivada Grenchen’s watches. Brought back to life in recent years, it was a brand that brought out a lot of interesting designs in the golden era of mechanical watchmaking last century. The wonderful thing about the modern brand is that it is one of the better ones out there in terms of faithful recreations of past designs. There is a certain dedication to getting the smaller details right. These can be anything from fonts to case sizes. And there’s no better example of this faithful approach than the Nivada Grenchen Antarctic 35mm.
The joys of a smaller watch
My colleague Balazs wrote an introduction to this release in 2023, which you can read here. I have a particular appreciation for the Nivada Grenchen Antarctic. There’s something about what the watch represents — the adventurous era of the 1950s and 1960s — that resonates with me. It’s also great to see a modern manufacturer providing us enthusiasts with a genuine 35mm option. You see, the originals were worn by burly US Navy men during Operation Deepfreeze in the 1950s. If it was good enough for them, it’s good enough for me!
A vintage Nivada Grenchen Antarctic with a water-damaged dial
I recently got to spend time with the modern recreation after writing a feature on a vintage example, which you can read here. Spending time with this updated version got me thinking, “Should we go back to 35mm tool watches?” Let’s dive in.
The Nivada Grenchen Antarctic
The modern Nivada Grenchen Antarctic 35mm is a reissue of a watch that served with a US Navy Antarctic expedition in the 1950s. This was a period of scientific advancement that displayed an appetite from the great nations of the world to learn more about our planet. You can read more about that story here. Moving to the modern re-edition, with its 35mm diameter and 10.1mm profile, the Antarctic wears with that perfect vintage-era balance. It feels neither oversized nor dainty. Rather, it sits neatly and confidently on the wrist. The 41.9mm lug-to-lug gives it a planted feel without overreaching. For anyone used to 40mm sports watches, the difference is refreshing — a reminder that charm often lives in understatement.
The White Luminova dial variant is crisp, parchment-like, with applied steel indexes and numerals at 12, 3, 6, and 9. Those markers catch light in quiet flashes, while the domed sapphire crystal adds a sense of depth and distortion that recalls the original acrylic of the 1950s models. It’s nice that this modern crystal preserves the vintage look while resisting scratches.
Unpretentious elegance
The lume application is modest, with just slim arcs at the outer edge of each hour marker, but it suits the character of the watch. This isn’t a dive tool that should glow like a lighthouse. No, this is a gentleman’s field companion that gives you just enough visibility when the sun dips. In daylight, though, it looks clean, elegant, and surprisingly contemporary for such a faithful re-edition.
Because this watch houses a manual-winding Landeron 21, you engage with it daily. The ritual of winding, hearing that soft click, and feeling the resistance is an integral part of the experience. The 50m water resistance with a push-pull crown won’t turn this into a dive watch, but it’s enough for daily life — and even a dip in the sea if you’re careful.
Should we go back to tool watches with case sizes in the mid-30s?
I think we should. You see, reissues often face a fork in the road: chase modern specs at the cost of authenticity, or lean heavily into vintage faithfulness with compromises. The Antarctic 35mm clearly chooses the latter, and I applaud that. The dimensions are exactly what they should be. The dial design, fonts, and proportions all feel right. Even the modest lume and the push-pull crown feel like deliberate nods to history.
The compromises — no screw-down crown and limited power reserve — are authentic ones, the kind of things that make the watch feel truly vintage on the wrist. And that’s the point. It’s not pretending to be something it never was. It’s a watch that knows its lane, remaining understated, faithful, and charming. Like the vintage Tudor and Rolex Oysters of the era, for example, it just gets the job done.
A penguin case back!
Flip the watch over, and you’re greeted by perhaps its most charming feature — a penguin medallion on the case back. It’s a small touch, but it ties the watch unmistakably to its polar heritage. The Antarctic’s story is bound up with penguins, snow, and frozen seas.
Having that playful motif pressed into gold on the back is a wink to that past. It’s not something you see often in modern watch design, and it reminds us that watches can carry not only technical merit but also whimsy. Every time I spot it, I can’t help but smile.
Watch brands, please give us more options in the mid-30s!
Spending time with the Nivada Grenchen Antarctic 35mm shows that a “small” modern timepiece can faithfully recreate the spirit of mid-century tool watches. It would be wonderful to see more brands take on this opportunity. IWC, for example, could do more with its Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36 line. The brand recently brought out a 35mm Ingenieur and should be applauded for that, but the Mark series/Pilot’s line seems to be stubbornly on the larger side.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36
Considering the Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36, we find a case size that matches some of IWC’s most iconic aviation timepieces. It’s a great potential platform for a truer rendition of a navigator’s watch like the Mark 11 or Mark XII. There are so many examples that spring to mind, and I would also love to read your suggestions in the comments, Fratelli. What watch lines could do with a resize to smaller cases?
Concluding thoughts
The Nivada Grenchen Antarctic 35mm (US$945) is a faithful recreation of a genuine tool watch proven in some of the harshest environments on the planet. On the wrist, it’s understated, elegant, and quietly confident. It doesn’t scream for attention — it rewards the wearer with subtle details, tactile interaction, and a deep connection to history. From the domed crystal to the penguin case back, it offers charm at every glance. For those who want to live with a watch that feels truly vintage — not just in looks, but in spirit — the Antarctic delivers.
