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. The Landeron 248 movement is stamped "COW" indicating that the watch was originally imported from Switzerland to the US. Furthermore, the simple "Croton" branding with the whimsical ribbon above is one that we come across less often.
Due to this type of movement the top pusher starts the chronograph while the bottom pusher stops and resets. 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. Today's watch is one we haven't offered before. The Chronomaster was made in numerous case, dial, and movement variations throughout its production years.
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. In need of a larger office, the company moved to a suburb of New York City, Croton-on-Hudson, in 1963. The Croton Watch Company was founded in 1878 by Jacob Horton in New York City. The watch keeps very good time although the service history is unknown.īracelet/Strap: Vintage black rubber "tropic" style strap in excellent condition with thumbail buckle.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. Movement is extremely clean and all functions work as they should including the chronograph start, stop, and reset.
#CROTON CHRONOMASTER AVIATOR SEA DIVERS WATCH MANUAL#
Movement: Original Valjoux 7733 manual wind chronograph movement in excellent condition. There is one minor vertical scratch visible in the photos near the 11 marker. All engravings including the reference and serials numbers are intact and clear.Ĭrystal: Domed acrylic crystal in very good condition as shown.
The 30 minute register features a highlighted red 5 minute countdown area for regatta timing, and elongated markers at 6 and 9, which were used for timing payphone calls.Ĭaseback: Original solid caseback in good condition. The tritium in the hour plots and hands have faded to a great even creamy patina. The case appears unpolished and retains its original chamfers.īezel: 60 minute bidirectional timer bezel in good vintage condition with only minor wear as pictured.ĭial/Hands: Original matte black dial with polished hands in excellent condition as shown. The case shows surface wear throughout but does not have any major blemishes. Take a look at the photos and our condition breakdown below.Ĭase: 38mm stainless steel case in very good vintage condition. According to the reference book Chronomaster Only, the watch features a 5th generation case style, type "B6" dial with "Croton 1878" logo and a high "T SWISS MADE T", type "C2" polished hands, type 4 bezel, and type 4 "special" chronograph pushers with a unique slightly triangular shape, all of which are original and correct to the watch, with the only replacement part being a service crown. Our example is the first version to be powered by the Valjoux 7733 movement. The Chronomaster remained popular for two decades, with a number of iterations produced, and it's easy to see why they're still popular and collectible today, especially with a modern 38mm size, manual wound chronograph movement, rotating bezel and clean well proportioned dial. This headline accurately describes all of the uses for the incredibly versatile Chronomaster, which at its time of release was one of the most well-equipped watches on the market. This was the headline of an advertisement for the Croton Nivada Grenchen Chronomaster in the early 60s, when mechanical tools were still king for measurement.
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