The Nivada Grenchen x Undone Depthmaster Pixel Art! is a fabulous reinterpretation of a mid-century classic that was awarded the nickname “Pac-Man” by the watch community.
A micro-brand with a stratospheric reputation for cool collaborations, Undone founded in 2014, has become the face of accessible customisation, enabling watch lovers to own a bespoke piece for as little as a few hundred pounds.
With all personalisation carried out by the end user via Undone’s simple to navigate website, creating a unique timepiece from this Hong Kong-based company takes just minutes.
Today in full revival mode, Nivada Grenchen is a hidden gem within the contemporary watch industry. Founded in Grenchen, Switzerland in 1926, it became one of the first companies to produce automatic watches in 1930.
Twenty years later Nivada Grenchen developed a waterproof automatic watch called the Antarctic, which was worn by members of the American Navy’s Deep Freeze 1 expedition to the South Pole from in the mid-1950s.
In 1964, the company launched the Depthomatic, a dive watch incorporating a depth indicator and in 1965 a dive watch resistant to 1,000 metres.
Showcasing a totally new look for the era, the Depthmaster featured a 38mm cushion case with chunky lugs and ridged bezel. The cardinal markers at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock used a large and distinctive font that collectors soon compared to the characters and typeface displayed in the 1980s arcade game Pac-Man.
Previously available only in brushed stainless-steel, a blacked-out Depthmaster with a “beads of rice” metal bracelet was introduced by the brand last month.
Now Nivada Grenchen and Undone have partnered on a totally new look Depthmaster with 39mm stealthy black-PVD steel case and black calfskin strap. Of course, the accent colour is the same yellow shade seen in the original Pac-Man game.
The three-hands plus date watch is powered by a Soprod P024 self-winding movement with 38 hours of power reserve. In a nod to its predecessor, it retains the 1,000 metres water resistance of the original.
Speaking of the collaboration, CEO of Nivada Grenchen Guillaume Laidet said: “Working with Undone was a blast. We appreciate each other, we respect each other. Our minds naturally converged as we each brought our expertise and different creative takes to the table to create this fun watch. That’s always the aim: to put fun at the centre of all our watchmaking endeavours.”
Only 200 pieces will be made, priced at CHF 950.
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