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Nivada Taravana Autochron (Ref. 87024), 1970s — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Nivada Taravana Autochron (Ref. 87024), 1970s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Nivada Grenchen (maker)
Date
1970s
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Wristwatch
Stock no.
NVDASCH87024
Credit line
Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (NVDASCH87024)
Catalogue title (original)
1970s Nivada Taravana Autochron (Ref. 87024) (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number NVDASCH87024), this is a wristwatch by Nivada Grenchen, dated 1970s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Craft & Tailored

Nivada Grenchen was founded in the 1920s in Grenchen, Switzerland, and was actually one of the first watch brands to manufacture automatic watches. Nivada came up with several other modern wristwatch innovations as well, creating waterproof and “rustless” watches that would stand up to the rigors of the outdoor adventures for which they were created. That's where this Taravana comes in, an incredibly unique chronograph with offset registers and a beautiful blue dial. It's yet another example of the breadth of designs and functionalities offered by this under-the-radar Swiss brand. SPECS Stock # NVDASCH87024 Brand Nivada Taravana Style Autochron Model 87024 Serial 9XXX Size Men's Material Stainless Steel Dial Blue Millimeters 44 Bracelet 2pc Rubber Strap CASE & BRACELET The exceptional stainless steel cushion-shaped case is in crisp unpolished condition and shows almost no signs of use. The case retains its original unsigned crown and dual pump pushers on the right side, with a second unsigned crown at 10 o'clock position for setting the internal rotating bezel. The case back is unpolished and clean with almost no markings. The watch will be supplied on a 2pc rubber strap. DIAL & HANDS The silky blue dial is stunning and in remarkable shape, showing absolutely no blemishes or signs of wear. The dial features a silver subdial at 6 o'clock and a second grey one at 9, with the date window at 3 o'clock. The black inner rotating bezel is legible and in perfect condition as well. The original hands are in perfect condition and exhibit no degradation when inspected under U.V. light. ACCESSORIES

Historical context

Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)

Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.

Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

Atlas type guide

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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