We paired this Chronomaster with our black Reid goat leather strap to enhance its sporty style and add some contrast with its white stitching. We've been lucky enough to offer a few Chronomasters as of late in the HODINKEE Shop, and this combination of case, dial, and hands is among the best we've seen. The condition on this watch is beautiful and that red in the minutes counter just pops. The lume filled white hands really stand out and offer great legibility - which is exactly what Croton was going for. Add in the tachymeter scale on the periphery of the dial, the dueling 60-minute/12-hour markers on the rotating bezel, and the simple pump pushers, and you have all the ingredients of one of the most underrated sport watches out there. This example is one we were drawn to immediately, with a splash of red on the minutes sub-dial that can operate as a five-minute countdown timer in a pinch. These three letter codes refer directly to the brand with 'COW' referencing 'Croton, Nivada SA.' The import stamp lines up with the dial featuring only Croton branding, the US distributor and marketer.

The Landeron 248 movement is stamped 'COW' indicating that the watch was originally imported from Switzerland to the US. Furthermore, the simple 'Croton' branding with the whimsical ribbon above is one that we come across less often. Due to this type of movement the top pusher starts the chronograph while the bottom pusher stops and resets. Its defining characteristics include lume filled baton shaped main hands, a painted red chronograph seconds hand, and a manually-wound Landeron 248 movement ticking inside. Today's watch is one we haven't offered before. The Chronomaster was made in numerous case, dial, and movement variations throughout its production years. Croton had an ongoing partnership with the Swiss brand Nivada and, as a result, many Nivada watches sold in the United States were branded Croton. In need of a larger office, the company moved to a suburb of New York City, Croton-on-Hudson, in 1963. The Croton Watch Company was founded in 1878 by Jacob Horton in New York City. Why This Watch Matters Croton made one of the best do-it-all chronographs of the 1960s, and we will continue to offer examples until everyone respects them.

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