Introducing: A New Colorway For The Alpina Seastrong Diver 300 Heritage
Dual-crown divers are enjoying a bit of a revival these days. While some brands are coming out with new designs, others are exploring their back catalogs. Alpina has a rich history dating back to 1883 and was there when diving and dive watches entered the zeitgeist. Launched in 2016, the Seastrong Heritage line was established as a tribute to the water-going watches of yesteryear. Poised as a fresh take on a classic design, this line offers modern technology in a vintage-inspired package. We will see that this is much more than a pretty face in a new case.
There has been no shortage of dual-crown dive watches released in recent memory. We’ve seen them from fresh-faced microbrands and the big names alike. Yet, some of them are less concerned about their dive-watch bona fides than they are about simply looking good. The Alpina Seastrong Diver 300 Heritage packages modern colors in a retro-styled case. It also takes the underwater aspect of its design seriously.
Reissued? Or reimagined?
The Seastrong Heritage draws heavy inspiration from Alpina’s first super compressor, the Super Compressor 10 Seastrong Diver. Originally released in 1969, this watch had a water resistance of 200 meters and was anti-magnetic. Truly ahead of its time in many ways, this dual-crown diver featured large luminous hands, a black inner bezel, and a silver dial. Legibility was key, as it was a true tool watch.
Everything old is new again, as the saying goes, and Alpina offers this old design in an updated package. The 42mm case is slightly up-sized from the original but maintains a slender profile at 12.3mm thick. This slimness is more impressive when you consider the 300m water resistance. The case is also polished on top but brushed on the sides. This adds to the visual appeal of the dial while offering some scratch resistance on the side flanks. The green rubber strap complements the tool watch vibe that the Seastrong is going for.
Form and function
Realizing that most of us are more likely to take this watch three meters deep than three hundred, Alpina has brought the look of this Seastrong into the 21st century. While the case design is timeless, the colorway is very much of today. Though green is not a color traditionally associated with dive watches (think legibility underwater) it continues to surface across the spectrum of dive watches currently on offer.
The deep green hue of the dial works with a sunray finish to an almost gradient effect. The dial fades from green to nearly black around the internal rotating bezel. The dark color of the dial also increases the legibility of the handset and applied indices. The handset is a throwback to the original Alpina 10 Seastrong and features a large arrow tip for the minute hand. Those who dislike date windows, rejoice! The modern Seastrong eschews the date wheel of the original, allowing for the dial symmetry that many prefer. Should you choose to use the Seastrong for timing, you will find that both crowns screw down. While this is no doubt to improve water resistance, it does mean that the internal bezel should be adjusted before entering the water. Timing events on land, however, should be no trouble at all. The locked crown also eliminates the possibility of the internal bezel rotating inadvertently, which is always a concern. The green rubber strap completes the monochromatic modern look.
Final thoughts
Building a tool watch for an era where watches are less relied upon as tools can be a challenge. The Alpina Seastrong 300 Heritage Diver brings a vintage case design into a modern package. The monochromatic theme offers a modern style upgrade to a case style that has stood the test of time. The deep green dial creates a design that is both of its time and timeless. Technical specifications on par with any modern dive watch mean that while this watch exudes a more design-forward approach, it is still up to the task of its predecessors. For more information, check out the Alpina website.
