In 2015, the year the first Apple Watch was released, Alpina introduced a “Horological Smartwatch” as part of this affordable luxury brand’s strategy to move with the times. And in the decade since, Alpina has developed its AlpinerX line of smartwatches equipped with sensors and Bluetooth to track owners’ health, activity and environment.
With AlpinerX accounting for a third of the company’s sales in some recent years, the Geneva watchmaker could have been forgiven if it had doubled down on its connected offering to the detriment of its traditional timepieces.
Yet, all the signs suggest that the brand with the mountain peak logo is committed to returning to its origins as a pioneer of handsome yet rugged mechanical and quartz watches, built to take on the entire Alpine sports environment – from mountain climbing to lake diving.
Going to Extremes
A big part of this back-to-roots approach has been the company’s update of its “Extreme” monikered watches, characterised by a slimmed-down-yet-still-assertive cushion-shaped case with brushed flat surfaces and polished bevels, plus a contemporarily restyled dial.
Over the last few years, we’ve seen the Alpiner Extreme Regulator Automatic, time-and-date Alpiner Extreme Automatic as well as the Alpiner Extreme Chronograph Automatic all released within the brand’s land-based Alpiner line. We’ve even seen the heavy-duty Extreme case make its debut within the ocean-inspired Seastrong family, with the launch of two Diver Extreme Automatic Arkea limited editions at the end of last year.
For Watches & Wonders 2024, Alpina has decided to harness the power of its Extreme case even further by adapting it in two exciting new ways.
First, the brand has integrated the cushioned-shape housing into a compact, certified dive watch – the Seastrong Diver Extreme Automatic – boasting 39mm by 40.40mm dimensions, a ceramic rotating bezel and 300-metre water resistance, paired with either a bracelet or sporty rubber strap.
And secondly, Alpina has taken the winning design of its sturdy Alpiner Extreme Automatic and channelled it into an equally alluring – yet considerably smaller – quartz-powered package: the new Alpiner Extreme Quartz. At 34mm by 35mm, it is set to wow slimmer-wristed fans of Alpina’s Extreme offering.
Alpina Seastrong Diver Extreme Automatic
The Seastrong Diver Extreme Automatic marks an exciting milestone for Alpina since it is the first time we see the distinctive Extreme case as part of a fully-fledged Alpina dive watch in terms of functionality, readability and compliance with the ISO 6425 standard.
Its notched, unidirectional rotating bezel in scratchproof ceramic encircles an ultra-clean dial comprising lumed hands and hour markers and 6 o'clock date window above an embossed pattern of repeating triangles that echo Alpina’s mountain-inspired logo.
Meanwhile, to achieve the very handy 30-bar water resistance, the engraved caseback is screwed down and complemented by a screw-down crown with rubber grip at 3 o'clock. This belt-and-braces case construction helps protect the AL-525 automatic calibre on the inside. In essence, this is a modified Sellita SW200-1 workhorse packing 38-hour power reserve.
While Alpina’s Seastrong Diver Extreme Automatic is a dive watch in name and specs, it is very much an amphibious machine that will look the business in the office or out on the town too.
It comes in three different editions: with anthracite dial paired with an integrated H-link bracelet; with a navy-blue dial on a matching rubber strap; and with a black dial plus orange flange on an orange rubber strap.
Alpina Alpiner Extreme Quartz
Back in the mid-2000s, certain Alpina Alpiner Extreme references went up to a chunky 48mm in diameter, but with its recent Alpiner Extreme Automatic revamp, the watchmaker has slimmed down the case to a more universally wearable 41mm by 42.5mm.
Now, Alpina is offering virtually the same design of the Extreme Automatic but condensed into an even slimmer format. The new Alpiner Extreme Quartz still has the characteristic cushion-shaped case with crown guard at 3 o’clock (mirrored by a protuberance at 9 o’clock), circular bezel with six A-slot screws, and wide angular lugs. And, like the Extreme Automatic, it bears the brand’s contemporary dial design with repeating triangle motif.
But its 34mm by 35.24mm dimensions mean this Extreme fits even the slenderest of wrists. What’s more, there is a cool selection of dial tones to choose from: rock beige, soap pink, glacier blue and leaf green. While the first three come on an integrated steel bracelet, the latter is paired with a green rubber strap to match the verdant dial.
