Ever since the Alpina 4 was launched in 1938, Swiss watchmaker Alpina has specialised in sports watches. The latest addition, the Seastrong Diver 300 Automatic, has been designed to operate precisely and reliably at depths of up to 300 metres under water, as its name suggests.
Drawing inspiration from Alpina dive watches from the last century, the timepiece comes in a 44 mm stainless steel cushion-shaped case. The new addition to the family also has all the features you would expect in a genuine diving instrument: the unidirectional rotating bezel measures up to 60 minutes of dive time using oversized hour and minute hands with white outlining and tips, and the minutes remaining are visible even in low light thanks to phosphorescent indices – a vital feature given that an accurate reading can save lives. The imposing seconds hand – an essential element on a dive watch, indicating that the watch is functioning correctly – is counterbalanced by the brand’s famous red triangle logo. In a new departure for 2016, this model comes with a choice of four different colours of bezel: blue, burgundy, grey and black.
The Seastrong Diver 300 Automatic is driven by the AL-525 calibre, visible through the sapphire caseback, delivering a power reserve of 38 hours. It comes with a waterproof black leather bracelet, which is elegant but perhaps less suited to repeated exposure to the marine elements. Thankfully, Alpina also offers a rubber strap, in a choice of four coordinating colours: navy blue, orange, khaki and red.
