Nivada Grenchen turns 100 with an F77 MKII stone dial launch

Nivada Grenchen is marking its 100th anniversary with seven new stone dial versions of the F77 MKII, its 1970s-inspired integrated sports watch, though stone dials are not new to the F77. The brand was established in 1926 and re-entered the market in 2020 after a long absence, and this centenary release is its most extensive dial update to date.

Six dials are permanent additions to the range: azurite, labradorite, jade, black opal, shungite black and smoky quartz. A seventh, ice agate, is reserved for the centenary and limited to 100 pieces, and every dial is described as unique because of the natural stone used.

Each of the six regular stone dials comes in date and no-date versions, which puts fourteen distinct models on sale alongside the limited ice agate piece. The six-dial range launches on September 24, priced at 1,660 euros on a strap and 1,870 euros on a bracelet.

What changed in the MKII case

The F77 MKII keeps its compact 38mm stainless steel case and integrated bracelet, with the sharp lines and mixed brushed and polished surfaces of 1970s sports watch design. Nivada rounded the case shape and reworked the lugs to be shorter and to break along the curve of the wrist, changing how the watch wears.

The centenary models are 11.5mm thick, down from the 12.2mm of the standard F77 MKII and 0.7mm thinner in total. A sapphire exhibition caseback replaces the earlier solid steel back, carrying an engraving that marks the 100-year milestone, and the octagonal bezel and 6mm crown carry over unchanged.

Water resistance stays at 100 meters, the same rating carried by the original F77 and its predecessor. Openworked baton hands are paired with faceted applied indices and small dots of Super-LumiNova around the dial's edge, and the watch keeps its simple hours, minutes and central seconds display.

The movement behind the anniversary edition

The most significant change is inside the case. Nivada Grenchen has replaced the Soprod P024 used in the standard F77 MKII with the La Joux-Perret G101, a no-date evolution of the G100 caliber positioned as an alternative to the ETA 2824-2 and Sellita SW200-1.

The G101 runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour with 24 jewels, a tungsten rotor for unidirectional winding and a KIF anti-shock system. Power reserve rises to 68 hours from the Soprod movement's 42 hours, a gain the brand frames as the centerpiece of the whole update.

The same G101 caliber appears in watches from anOrdain, Furlan Marri and Farer, and it is the base movement inside the M.A.D.Editions M.A.D.2. The integrated bracelet's clasp retains tool-free micro-adjustments, and buyers can choose a canvas Velcro strap or a black rubber strap instead.

Pricing runs to US$1,590 on a strap and US$1,790 on a bracelet, or CHF 1,380 and CHF 1,550 respectively. That is higher than the original F77's launch price a few years ago, a difference the brand attributes to the new movement, thinner case and exhibition caseback.

A brand built on reviving its own archive

Nivada Grenchen operates under the creative direction of Guillaume Laidet, who also runs the Vulcain and Space One brands. Since 2020 the company has concentrated on updating historical references, alongside the F77 it also runs the Antarctic and Chrononomaster collections built on earlier vintage models.

The F77 itself dates to 1977, when Nivada built it to capture the wave of integrated steel sports watches that followed the Royal Oak's 1972 debut. It returned in 2023 in a design close to the original, sold out quickly, and drew criticism for wearability that the MKII, launched in 2025, was built to fix.

Stone dials are not new to the F77 either. The model gained stone dial and titanium versions in 2024, followed by further dial variations earlier in 2025, before this centenary release brought the movement change and the case's slimmer profile together for the first time.

We have covered stone dials elsewhere in the category this year, including Perrelet's addition of four stone dial variants to its Weekend collection, part of a broader run of anniversary and archive-driven launches we have tracked across the watch world, from Vacheron Constantin's Overseas at 30 to Grönefeld's four-model Quadrivium revival.