The Nivada Grenchen Antarctic Erotic

When the article about the new Nivada Grenchen Antarctic Erotic came out on the 1st of April, many did not take it seriously. Though the images were way better than a silly AI-generated render, readers thought they were part of a very elaborate prank by Guillaume Laidet and his team. Well, I’m here to tell you that it was real, and the watch sits on my wrist as I type this.

The Antarctic is one of Nivada’s most coveted models. I’ve reviewed a few iterations over the years. While the new Antarctic Erotic may not look different at first glance, there is indeed a difference, which only becomes clear when you take the watch off.

The Nivada Grenchen Antarctic Erotic

It was during last year’s Windup event in New York that Guillaume pulled my colleagues and me to the side and said, “Come, I want to show you something. But I’d like to film your reaction.” If you know the man behind Nivada Grenchen as I do, you know that this could mean only a few things. And most of them are sketchy, to say the least. At the time, the watch’s animation was only a CAD design, but even that gave us the gist. Some brands create a gold watch for their 100th anniversary, while others introduce a whole new line. Nivada gives the watch world a timepiece with penguins “doing it” on the back, above the movement. That’s right; the Antarctic Erotic, which looks like a simple three-hander from the front, gives you a very different view from the back…

Not the first, surely not the last

Erotic watches are not new. The tradition dates to 18th-century Swiss and French watchmaking, when wealthy collectors commissioned pocket watches with hidden, animated scenes revealed by a repeater slide or push-piece. Jaquet-Droz and Swiss workshops pioneered these pieces for private enjoyment, blending serious craft with the personal and taboo. By the late 20th century, the genre saw a revival. Blancpain crafted minute repeaters with engraved automata on their case backs. Ulysse Nardin introduced animated dial figures. Jacob & Co. and Richard Mille made bold luxury statements. Nivada, characteristically, went in an entirely different direction.

The basics of the Antarctica Erotic

Yet, before we talk about the penguins, let us look at the watch itself. Nivada released six Antarctic Erotic variants. The one I have on today is the brown version. In addition, you could get a salmon, eggshell, tuxedo, white, or black dial. The watches feature a 38mm 316L steel case with a 45mm length and a 12.45mm profile. While not the thinnest hand-wound watch, the thickness includes the display case back, which has a flat sapphire crystal, and the double-domed sapphire crystal over the dial. Due to its reasonable dimensions, the watch sits well on the wrist for fans with both larger and smaller wrists. Nivada gives the watch a versatile 20mm lug spacing and a variety of strap/bracelet options, from leather to rubber and two types of steel bracelets. My watch came on the brand’s Brown Racing strap, and I love the combo, especially with this dial.

Vintage-tone dial

While some of the dial options strike me as modern, others play with vintage vibes, just like this brown tone. Large, long, applied indexes, numerals at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock, and an upside-down triangle at 12 give the Antarctic Erotic an unmistakable homage look to one specific watch, but this doesn’t bother me at all. The dial layout is simple, and the text is scarce. You see the brand name “Nivada Grenchen” under the 12 o’clock index, “Antarctic Erotic” on the lower half, and, of course, “Swiss Made” under the minute scale at 6 o’clock. Both the hour markers and hands have beige (some may say “faux-patina”) lume, a great match with the warm brown tone of the dial.

Movement with a twist

Let’s flip the watch over and peek at the movement. Around one-third of the caliber hides behind the animation. The Nivada Antarctic Erotic’s heart and soul is the Soprod P054 caliber. This is a 17-jewel, Swiss-made, manual-wind movement without a date, beating at 28,800 vph. While it’s not the most robust or fanciest movement, it gets the job done. With 42 hours of power reserve and the case’s 100m water resistance, the Antarctic Erotic is suitable for everyday use. And we haven’t even mentioned the conversation starter, which sits on top of the movement…

The penguin, usually depicted as a golden medallion on the case back, has been the logo of the Antarctic model family for the longest time. It was only logical that for this commemorative piece, Nivada would do something to spice things up a bit. I’d be lying if I said this was what I expected, but I’m not mad about the result. It sounds more provocative than it is. Push in the crown and start winding the movement to see two penguins, one behind the other, and the rear bird “jumping” up and down, imitating what one could only explain as mating. I think we have all come across erotic watches in the past, and I can say with 100% certainty that this is the least obscene or provocative version of them all.

What’s left to say?

The Nivada Antarctic Erotic comes in six iterations, as I mentioned above, all of them starting at €1,600 on a strap. If you’d like a steel flat-link or beads-of-rice bracelet, the price will rise to €1,805. While not the cheapest option, it’s in line with the brand’s strategy. Plus, it won’t break the bank, and you are getting a solid timepiece with a twist for a competitive price. I loved mine on the brown leather racing-style strap, but one should consider paying a tad more for a steel bracelet. As of the publication of this article, the pre-order period for the Antarctica Erotic will remain open for a little more than a day. If this is the kind of watch that tickles your fancy, be sure to secure one while you can.

You can learn more about the Nivada Antarctic Erotic on the brand’s website.

Watch specifications