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Nivada is aSwiss watch manufacturing company, founded in the town ofGrenchen,Switzerland in 1879 by Jacob Schneider. The company gained attraction afterWorld War II, producing a series of successful watches before succumbing to theQuartz crisis.
In 1926, Nivada was operational in Grenchen as Wüllimann Schneider Nivada S.A. The company relied on proven movements fromETA SA andPhénix S.A., as was typical at the time, and the company was known for quality mass-produced watches. Nivada celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1979, at which point it was run by Max Schneider, the son of the founder, who took over the business in 1976.[1]
Nivada was prevented from using its name during the 1960s and 1970s due to its phonetic similarity with Movado, so the products were labeled "Nivada Grenchen". In theUnited States, Croton (formed in 1878 in Italy, later headquartered in New Jersey) became a U.S. distributor for Nivada products, so many were sold under the "Croton Nivada", "Croton Nivada Grenchen", and simply "Croton" names, avoiding the issues with the similarity to the Movado name.
The Nivada brand was also used inSouth Korea by the Kim Suk Keun Watch Company from 1985 through the 2000s and continues to be used to this day.
As of 2022, Nivada is still incorporated inGrenchen,Switzerland and the brand continues in some markets, notably inMexico.
