{"product_id":"croton-depthmaster-pacman-as02410","title":"Croton Depthmaster \"Pacman\"","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eIn life there are certain unsolvable mysteries. Such as, who killed JFK? What happened to D.B. Cooper?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eWho in heaven’s name made the case of this vintage watch?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eWhile we admit this particular mystery might not be as all-consuming as some of the others we’ve mentioned, it certainly puzzles those of us with a horological bent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThis Japanese article on \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/watch-monster.com\/articles\/4fDhb\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Baby Panerai\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eWatch-Monster.com\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/a\u003ealleges that it was the product of one Boa Company. However, a search for “Boa Company” reveals a company that manufactures athletic performance wear. That’s not precisely what we had in mind, Google, but thanks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eWhoever made them, these cases first hit the market in 1963 and were soon picked up by brands from Japan to Switzerland. Collectors have come to know them as “baby Panerais” due to their similarity to cases used by Panerai. One of the earliest was marketed by Sandoz, whose version was depth-rated to 1000 meters; even Jaeger-LeCoultre adopted the case for the Master Marine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eHowever, the most desirable variants are those manufactured by Nivada Grenchen, known as Croton (or Croton Nivada Grenchen) in the United States.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eAlthough these variants lack the 1000m depth rating of those made by Sandoz, what they lack in that they more than make up for in style. We’ve seen some with sterile dials, or some with bold luminous Arabic numerals that hint at a military inspiration. However, neither of these come close to the funky and engaging style of the one we offer here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eBecause of the Art Deco shape of the numerals at the poles—particularly at 6 and 9 o’clock—collectors have given it the nickname of “Pacman.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eOf all the so-called “Baby Panerais” out there, the Pacman is one of the rarest, with a cult following of its own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe Pacman that we offer here shows signs of a life well-lived. The “baby Panerai” case has some signs of wear, particularly to the bezel. Although the Pacman dial shows some signs of age, the rich patina gives the unusually-shaped markers a distinguished look. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Croton","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":6384839688222,"sku":null,"price":2600.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0809\/1255\/products\/Croton_Depthmaster_AS02410_2.jpg?v=1524690099","url":"https:\/\/www.analogshift.com\/products\/croton-depthmaster-pacman-as02410","provider":"Analog:Shift","version":"1.0","type":"link"}