![]() My understanding is that this is for timing the countdown to the beginning of a boat regatta. The 30 min sub-dial at 3 o’clock has a red triangle highlighting the first five minutes which count down from 5 to 1. It has a matte black dial with black sub-dials that have glossy black bevels which really make them stand out. This example is from the early to mid ’60’s, and is the first generation style. Other movements used include Valjoux 92, 7733, Landeron 248 and Venus 210 to name a few. The best would have to be the venerable Valjoux 23 column wheel movement, which was also found in chronographs from Heuer, Rolex and other higher-end Swiss brands. There were also a large variety of different movements to be found in the Chronomasters. There are black dials, white dials, some with different color subdials, and some later versions with a date function at 3 o’clock or even at 12 o’clock. There were a boat load of variations made over the years it was produced. The Chronomaster can be found branded with Croton, Nivada, Nivada Grenchen, and even Croton Nivada Grenchen. Mine is signed ‘Croton’, which is the name Nivada Grenchen used for their watches sold in the US. The first generation style like my example here with the large arrow hands was made from 1963 to about 1970 when they switched over to the classic ’70’s ‘stick’ hands. Most variations are a two register chronograph with subdials at 3 and 9 o’clock, and a sixty minute elapsed time diver’s bezel. The Chronomaster made its debut in 1963 and continued production until about 1978. This name has all the bases covered! Fortunately, it’s not just a cool name, this is one cool watch as well. Byrd reported that despite intense cold, harsh impacts, high magnetism and altitude the watches performed perfectly.What’s in a name? Sometimes a whole lot! There are some great model names in the annals of watch history like Speedmaster, Submariner, Sportsmatic and Snorkel….but there’s one that takes the cake: The Croton Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver. Renowned explorer Admiral Richard Byrd wore a Croton during Operation Deep Freeze, a 1955 expedition to the Antarctic. Many watch companies quickly rose to meet that challenge, including Croton. The mid 1900’s were a time rich with exploration and adventurers had very specific requirements for their watches. The components were being manufactured in Switzerland, but the watches were assembled in the Croton, NY factory leading Croton to be regarded as an American watch brand. They relocated to New York City in 1928 and finally settled in the Hudson Valley town of Croton, New York in 1963. The roots of the Croton Watch Company can be traced to the city of Crotone in southern Italy. This model features a Valjoux 7733 movement. This Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver includes: a chronograph, a tachymeter scale, a rotating bezel for diving, a second time zone on the bezel and a sailing regatta countdown. No two watches will turn tropical the exact same way. The enticing colors and organic textures seen here adds a distinct personality to any time piece- differentiating one watch from others of the same model. A tropical dial is a black face watch which has changed color over time due to the substances used inside the dial markers and/or inside the hands of the watch. All watch enthusiasts know that there is one thing no watchmaker can plan, predict, or intentionally replicate - the coveted “tropical dial”. ![]()
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