Model History
The Depthmaster was presented by Nivada in 1965, in the midst of the Swiss watch industry's race toward ever more extreme dive watches. Unlike many of its contemporaries, the Depthmaster did not merely claim a theoretical resistance: it was offered with a certified water resistance of up to 1,000 meters, a figure that at the time placed it among the most extreme diving instruments on the market, built for professional rather than purely sporting use.
The dial of the most famous version, informally nicknamed "Pacman" by collectors for the distinctive shape of its hour index that recalls the well-known video game character, became one of the most recognizable hallmarks of Nivada's entire vintage output. The sturdy case, graduated rotating bezel and large luminous indices complete a design aimed at maximum legibility underwater, consistent with the brand's instrument-watch philosophy.
With the brand's relaunch, the Depthmaster was faithfully reissued starting in the early 2020s, keeping the 39 mm cushion case, the screw-down crown with helium escape valve and — in the executions that echo the original model — the distinctive "Pacman" index, alongside a more understated version with Arabic numerals and a bronze variant designed for enthusiasts of finishes that age over time.
Technical Specifications
Main Executions
The "Pacman" nickname, used by collectors for one of the most beloved variants of the Depthmaster, has nothing to do with the era the watch was designed in: it was coined decades later, when the eponymous video game became a global cultural reference, for the resemblance between the famous character and the shape of the dial's hour index.