Sometimes, you don’t want a color or a fancy finish on your dial, and occasionally, the second version isn’t always better than the first. That must be exactly what Ludovic Barrois from the French watch publication Le Petit Poussoir was thinking. That’s probably why, with his friend Guillaume Laidet, he released the Nivada Grenchen F77 Polar White MK1 limited edition. When you look at it, it’s quite hard to believe that it hasn’t existed before.
In 2023, I went hands-on with another Nivada Grenchen limited edition with a polar-white dial, the Super Antarctic, a collaboration with Ace Jewelers. That watch featured an orange seconds hand because of the connection with the Dutch jeweler. This limited-edition F77 MK1, however, doesn’t feature any color accents at all. It still looks very attractive, though, just like the other limited-edition Yema Superman Tropical from Le Petit Poussoir that Jorg went hands-on with last year. All right, let’s take a look at this Nivada Grenchen F77 MK1 with a polar-white dial.
The Nivada Grenchen × Le Petit Poussoir F77 Polar White MK1
As mentioned, Barrois chose the MK1 version of the Nivada Grenchen F77. He prefers the more pronounced, angular lugs to the MK2’s more ergonomic ones. The MK1’s stainless steel case has a 37mm diameter and a 45mm lug-to-lug span. With a 12.65mm profile, including the double-domed sapphire, it’s also about half a millimeter thicker than the MK2. However, that difference certainly won’t be a deal-breaker for anyone.
The other big difference between the MK2 and the MK1 is that the latter always features baton hands instead of the dauphine hands found on stone-dial variants of the MK2. I like the baton hands better because they match the applied hour markers very well. Besides, the dauphine hands aren’t lumed, while the straight hands are, so this limited-edition Nivada Grenchen F77 Polar White MK1 is much easier to read in low-light conditions.
Finally, as mentioned, the matte polar-white dial is unique to this particular version of the F77. When you look at the current F77 collection, you’ll find that most dials feature some kind of texture, and if they don’t, they are black. So if you’re looking for a Nivada Grenchen F77 with a plain white dial, this is your chance.
A Swiss Soprod caliber inside
The limited-edition Nivada Grenchen F77 Polar White MK1 is powered by a Swiss-made Soprod P024 movement. This automatic caliber holds a power reserve of 38 hours, features 25 jewels, and runs at 28,800 vph. With the screw-down crown, you can manually wind and set it. That crown, along with the all-steel, screw-in, engraved case back, helps give the watch a 100m water resistance rating.
Unlike the MK2, the F77 MK1 doesn’t have drilled lug holes. That might make it a bit more difficult to swap the brushed and polished three-row bracelet for something else. However, it does keep the pronounced lugs nice and clean. The bracelet comes with a push-button-operated folding clasp with several micro-adjustment holes.
On the wrist
I actually like the fact that Barrois went for the MK1 case of the Nivada Grenchen F77. The more angular lugs give the F77 more character. You might lose a bit of comfort on the wrist, but as we say in Dutch, whoever wants to be beautiful must suffer a little. The matte polar-white dial is also a great choice for the F77 MK1. It makes the dial look super clean and doesn’t distract you from the F77’s case, which has lots of angles and facets to enjoy. I find it very surprising that this version didn’t exist previously. Now that it does, it might be my favorite!
The Nivada Grenchen F77 MK1’s size suits my 17cm wrist very well. The short 45mm length makes up for the slightly thicker body, and I never felt like it was a thick watch on my wrist.
At €1,420, this is a great Swiss-made limited edition by Le Petit Poussoir and Nivada Grenchen. But beware: there are only 33 pieces of the F77 Polar White MK1 available.
What do you think of this limited-edition F77 MK1? Let us know in the comments below.
Daan de Groot
2026-05-11 05:00:00