Alpina Seastrong Diver Extreme With A Retro Touch-Up

If you’re looking for an affordable, outspoken sports watch that can handle rough situations, the Alpina Seastrong Diver Extreme might be for you. However, the 39mm watch that debuted last year might be too boldly colored for your taste. Alpina fixed that by releasing two new versions — one with a black dial and another with a khaki-green dial. To soften the look of its angular dive watch, the brand also added a bit of Super-LumiNova mimicking aged tritium or radium.

The two new iterations in Alpina’s most outspoken line are not as retro as the Heritage Tropic-Proof the brand introduced during this year’s Watches and Wonders. Still, Alpina did give its angular tool watch a touch of retro to take the edge off, so to speak. The basis is last year’s Seastrong Diver Extreme with its 39 × 40.4 × 12.65mm cushion-shaped case. With a 300m depth rating, a contrasting unidirectional dive bezel with a matte black ceramic insert, and an orange minute scale on the dial’s periphery, the Seastrong Diver Extreme comes across as a contemporary tool watch. But the utilitarian timepiece looks more relaxed with a fair bit of vintage-inspired Super-LumiNova on the black (ref. AL-525B3VE6) or khaki (ref. AL-525K3VE6) textured dial.

The Alpina Seastrong Diver Extreme

The Seastrong Diver Extreme is, in a way, a more capable version of the Alpiner Extreme. This is partially thanks to the unidirectional dive bezel with a matte black ceramic insert and distinct notches in the steel frame to facilitate easy handling. Not only are the proportions of the cushion-shaped case nicely balanced to create a homogenous appearance, but the brushed surfaces showing polished bevels also give the sports watch a touch of distinction and sophistication.

The three-piece case features a screw-down crown and an engraved steel case back to ensure the watch can resist water pressure at a depth of 300 meters. Just like the bezel, the crown was designed with easy handling in mind. Therefore, it has a pronounced grip pattern, and crown guards offer protection against knocks without getting in the way. The bumper at 9 o’clock keeps the watch’s look balanced and also adds protection.

Get the radium look

The new versions of the Seastrong Diver Extreme have a lot in common. One has a black dial and the other a khaki-green one, but both have a grained surface, and everything else is the same. That means you get an XL triangular marker at 12 o’clock and a date window at 6. Take another look at that date window, and tell me what you see. Indeed, underneath it, Alpina put a horizontal Super-LumiNova marker to further increase readability in the dark.

Speaking of “SLN,” the applied indexes, hands, and even the counterweight of the seconds hand are filled with Old Radium Super-LumiNova. You can call it “fauxtina” and turn your head in dismay, but it does add a touch of warmth and softness to both watches. Does it make sense historically to put radium-mimicking lume on a watch that debuted in 2009? That’s long after using radioactive material in watches was banned. It’s a fair question that you can answer after listening to your conscience. Still, the fashionable touch-up hasn’t gotten in the way of the watch’s utilitarian qualities. Both dials are minimalist and lack excess decoration to ensure optimal legibility.

Sharing power

Both new versions of the Seastrong Diver Extreme house the AL-525 caliber. This Sellita SW200-based automatic movement has a 4Hz frequency and a 38-hour power reserve. The khaki-green version might have looked a bit too much like a field watch instead of a dive watch with a strap in the same color. This might be the reason why Alpina fits both versions with a textured black rubber strap. The folding clasp, like fauxtina, is a debatable feature. A pin buckle would certainly be more instrumental but, admittedly, less “luxurious.”

AL-525B3VE6

AL-525K3VE6

The black and khaki-green retro-touched Seastrong Diver Extreme models each cost €1,995. Does that price keep this Swiss-made Alpina dive watch even more firmly in the “affordable luxury” category? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Watch specifications