When Nivada relaunched the F77, the brand’s long dormant integrated bracelet sports watch, it landed with a positive reception but was, maybe, seen as a little unremarkable. It paid tribute to the original, maintaining its sleek 37mm case and a sporty profile, but didn’t really do a whole lot to set itself apart from the many other integrated bracelet sports watch options out there. Now, with the second F77 collection hitting just a year later, Nivada has tried something genuinely different for watches in this category, putting a much greater emphasis on the dial, offering a range of choices that approach the exotic. The watch is also now in a new metal, titanium, that will perhaps make it that much more desirable to those looking for an alternative to more common watches in this style.
The “basket weave” dial motif that was introduced in last year’s launch returns here but in just one of the four variants Nivada will be making available. The anthracite gray execution of the titanium F77 is the most straightforward of the new models, and the one that’s most closely linked to previous versions.
The real story here though is in those other three dial variants. Nivada will be offering the F77 in meteorite, lapis lazuli, and aventurine, with the general idea being that the brand is both “looking skyward” and “breaking new ground” with dials evoking deep space as well as the earth itself. That’s clever marketing, but it’s backed up in this case by Nivada making something that really represents them diving into a niche. We’ve seen some increased interest in materials like aventurine and in the use of stone dials, but that trend typically manifests itself outside of the sports watch world. The use of aventurine and lapis lazuli (especially lapis lazuli) along with meteorite (which has been making a comeback for a few years now at least) strikes me as a particularly 1970s influenced design cue, and thus kind of perfect for the F77.
The specs are similar to last year’s model, with the exception of course of the case and bracelet metal being titanium. The case measures 12.6mm tall and paired with the matching bracelet features both polished and satin finishes, alternating in such a way to highlight the highly angular construction of the F77 case. Water resistance is rated to 100 meters, and the watch runs on the Soprod P024 caliber, an automatic movement offering 38 hours of power reserve.
The meteorite dial will only be available during the pre-order period, which started yesterday. That version also carries a pricing premium over the others, coming in at $1,700. The anthracite dial retails for $1,460, while both the lapis lazuli and aventurine come in at $1,390. More information can be found at Nivada’s website here.
