Nivarox

Nivarox is the name of a metal alloy used to make hairsprings (aka balance springs) for watches. Development of Nivarox dates back as far as 1933, and today the springs have an estimated global market share of 90% (source).

Niva Names:

Nivarox, which is the registered trade name of the alloy, is also the name of the company that owns the trade name: Nivarox-FAR, SA – which itself is owned by the Swatch Group conglomerate of watch brands.

The original developer of Nivarox (at least as far as is recorded), was a Swiss engineer named Reinhard Straumann – he also registered the trade name for Nivaflex, now produced by Générale Ressorts.

All of these names get further confused with the fact that Nivarox-FAR also produces Nivachron balance springs.

What does it do?

The name is short for a German phrase that translates to “Non-Variable Non-Oxidizing”.

Non-variable, meaning the alloy is not affected by variables such as temperature or magnetic fields. Non-oxidizing, meaning it does not rust.

These properties made Nivarox hairsprings a great choice compared to other metal springs that were prone to rust or could not withstand magnetism or temperature fluctuations.