Why This Watch Matters Croton made one of the best do-it-all chronographs of the 1960s, and we will continue to offer examples until everyone respects them. The Full Story The Croton Watch Company was founded in 1878 by Jacob Horton in New York City. In need of a larger office, the company moved to a suburb of New York City, Croton-on-Hudson, in 1963. Croton had an ongoing partnership with the Swiss brand Nivada and, as a result, many Nivada watches sold in the United States were branded Croton. The Chronomaster was made in numerous case, dial, and movement variations throughout its production years. Today's watch is one we haven't offered before. Its defining characteristics include lume filled baton shaped main hands, a painted red chronograph seconds hand, and a manually-wound Landeron 248 movement ticking inside. Due to this type of movement the top pusher starts the chronograph while the bottom pusher stops and resets. Furthermore, the simple "Croton" branding with the whimsical ribbon above is one that we come across less often. The Landeron 248 movement is stamped "COW" indicating that the watch was originally imported from Switzerland to the US. These three letter codes refer directly to the brand with "COW" referencing "Croton, Nivada SA." The import stamp lines up with the dial featuring only Croton branding, the US distributor and marketer. This example is one we were drawn to immediately, with a splash of red on the minutes sub-dial that can operate as a five-minute countdown timer in a pinch. Add in the tachymeter scale on the periphery of the dial, the dueling 60-minute/12-hour markers on the rotating bezel, and the simple pump pushers, and you have all the ingredients of one of the most underrated sport watches out there. The lume filled white hands really stand out and offer great legibility - which is exactly what Croton was going for. The condition on this watch is beautiful and that red in the minutes counter just pops. We've been lucky enough to offer a few Chronomasters as of late in the HODINKEE Shop, and this combination of case, dial, and hands is among the best we've seen. We paired this Chronomaster with our black Reid goat leather strap to enhance its sporty style and add some contrast with its white stitching. Source: Chronomaster Only: The Super-Chronograph by Nivada & Croton by Grégoire Rossier and Anthony Marquié The Fine Print Maker: CrotonModel: Chronomaster Aviator Sea DiverReference: 105-903006Year: 1960sCase No: 9197Material: Stainless steelDimensions: 38mm diameter; 13.5mm thicknessCrystal: PlexiglassLume: Yes, tritiumCaliber: Croton signed Landeron, manually-wound, caliber 248Bracelet/Strap: HODINKEE The Reid Watch Strap In BlackLug Width: 20mmBox/Papers: No What We Love And What You Should Know Things We Love: - Great overall condition- Excellent lume color- Stark white painted hands- Croton "Ribbon" logo Things To Know: - Scratches on case This Chronomaster is in great, attractive condition. The case is strong with scratches. The facets of the lugs are clearly visible and sharp. The caseback engravings are visible including the numbers. There are a few caseback scratches from previous opening attempts. The dial is in great condition with light patina and a very fine spotting in some areas. The dial has remained glossy. The hands are in great condition and have developed patina. The lume on the dial and hands have developed patina, aging to a pleasing creamy yellow color. The minute hand has a slight imperfection in the paint near the hand stack. The bezel is in overall very nice condition with some scratches and wear around the edges; it has retained its attractive black color. The dial, case, and movement are signed by Croton. The crystal has some light scratches. This watch was photographed on a 175mm/6.9inch wrist.
Related
Related
Related
Related