If you can check out a Worn & Wound Wind-Up Watch Fair, you should. However, if you have a watch to get list, it will likely increase afterwards.

If you can check out a Worn & Wound Wind-Up Watch Fair, you should. However, if you have a watch to get list, it will likely increase afterwards.

I saw and experienced many awesome watch brands at 2022's Worn & Wound Wind-Up Watch Fair in San Francisco. With that first hand experience with both the watches as well as their related brand owners, I left with a few watches on my mind that were both my favorites and ones which I couldn't forget and some that I'd eventually have to get. One such brand was Nivada Grenchen.

The Chronomasters initially caught my attention. My casual interest in their Depthmaster elevated to curious fascination when I actually had one on the wrist at the watch fair.

I don't know what it was? But, it felt really good on wrist and surprisingly compact for a mind-boggling 1000m WR retro dive watch. Such high WR tolerance for a relatively svelte 39mm cushion case with a total crystal to case back thickness of what I recently measured at approximately 12.6mm?!

Sure, they are cool and fun(ky), but, I didn't think I'd be that keen on the "Pac-Man" dial variant(s). However, while in the metal and on wrist, the overall package with such unusual design character was surprisingly charming to me.

Fast forward nearly 6 months later to about now, with the Depthmaster still lingering on my head, I finally decided to scratch that itch and get one.

Most recently, Nivada Grenchen seems to have been on a roll with quite a number of limited editions and collaborations. Some revolve around their excellent Chronomaster model with collabs including Time & Tide and Worn & Wound. Others take their equally excellent Depthmaster model. Undone played up the "Pac-Man" there with an old school pixel art design interpretation. And, a bit prior to that they got together with Revolution to make this "No Barracuda" version which I am showing here. You can also see the unique case back engraving displays this info with a "No Barracuda" design.

I thought the (nearly) all black (or "Murdered Out") version of the Depthmaster, the first for the Depthmaster, was pretty cool and slick. I personally like the unique factor and being only one of 150, it should relation unique among Depthmaster, if not generally being a less frequented dive watch to be spotted in the wild.

It includes a second strap option in brown leather. But, I'm showing it on its matching grains of rice bracelet that is also in black DLC.

I like the choice in lume paint color applied. By the way, they are slightly raises. They say it's inspired by the color of the foamy beer head while drinking a glass of Guinness. I might alternatively describe the color as a light buttercream yellow tone. Being a lume with some pigment added to create a particular color in daylight, the green lume glow is actually surprisingly stronger and long lasting than I might have imagined. The black bezel insert has a little hidden trick in that the black engraved details actually glow, too. Not as potent as the obvious lume applications mentioned. But, still cool they made a fully lumed bezel insert the way they stealthily did.

All together, the particular lume color gives a soft and warm contrast which I think is pleasant to look at in juxtaposition to the stark black that dominates the watch.

This is kind of long, so I'll lastly add that I also enjoy the fact that choosing all black finish the way it is with mostly brushed finished surfaces, it gives the watch an almost military tactical look.

So, far, the Soprod P024 had been trying pretty good.. my measurements to date average about +2.5 s/d. The watch feels very well made. The bezel action is pretty nice. It sounds and feels good... light and crisp clicking, but, not loose nor sloppy. The bracelet is generally nice and comfortable. But, there are 2 areas that could be improved upon. The screw pins and the clasp.