ALPINA RELEASE SEASTRONG DIVER HERITAGE 300
ALMOST HALF A CENTURY AFTER ITS FIRST APPEARANCE, THE ALPINA "SEASTRONG 10" SUPER COMPRESSOR DIVING WATCH FINDS ITS WAY BACK INTO THE ALPINA COLLECTION AS THE "SEASTRONG DIVER HERITAGE". MORE THAN A REPLICA, A MODERN INTERPRETATION OF A SWISS WATCHMAKING CLASSIC.
"When the water-resistant watch came onto the market 15 years ago, some people thought it was just another crazy fashion or a sales gimmick. After all it is not absolutely necessary to wear your watch in the bath …" According to the German specialist magazine Uhrmacher-Woche in the year 1942 when dive watches first appeared.
Following several years of development work, the sporty and functional "Alpina 4" was presented for the first time in 1938. The numeral stood for four impressive quality characteristics. Firstly, the timepiece had antimagnetic properties. An "Incabloc" impact protection device protected the delicate pivots of the balance wheel from breakage. Thirdly, the highly resilient case was made of stainless steel. Finally came the fourth and particularly important argument for purchasing the Alpina 4", in the form of a "Geneva" type water-resistant case. Its specially designed crown was patented. In spite of its outstanding qualities, however, this of course could not yet be described as a genuine diving watch. The presentation of such a watch by Alpina would have to wait a further 30 years.
In 1967 the cooperative brought its highly regarded "Alpina 10" on to the market. The "Super Compressor" case, water-resistant to up to twenty bar, housed the 572C automatic calibre. The extremely pressure-tight "Super Compressor" case was instantly recognisable from the outside by the grid pattern on both crowns, and on the inner side of the case back by the stylised depiction of a diving helmet.
The 2016 Seastrong Diver Heritage
Just 50 years later, the highly regarded diving watch is back in the Alpina Collection, this time as the "Seastrong Diver Heritage". Its illustrious predecessor from the 1960s is recalled in two operating elements in the right case flank and the rotating ring which was (at that time, for good reason) shifted into the inside of the case. With the help of the crown, the rotating ring can be quickly and easily adjusted at "2". The 60-minute division is also useful for non-divers. For example, the arrow can be positioned so that the approaching hour hand indicates when parking time is running out. Thanks to the modern case design, the classic stainless steel case (now increased to a diameter of 42 millimetres) with its engraved screwed case back resists water pressure up to 30 bar, corresponding to a diving depth of 300 m/1000ft. The modern AL-525 automatic calibre ensures excellent timekeeping. This is the equally reliable, robust and accurate SW 200 from Sellita. Alpina has refined it with its customary attention to detail, giving the ball bearing mounted rotor the asymmetric form signature to the brand. The balance wheel completes 28,800 vibrations per hour. Fully wound, it has 38 hours of power reserve. The Seastrong Diver Heritage has a retail of £1350 and is available to order now from Stewart’s The Watch Company. Contact us on 0116 270 5635 for further information.