After discovering it under the spotlight at the last Watches & Wonders fair in Geneva, we were able to enjoy the new Seastrong Diver Extreme from Alpina in its natural element. More precisely in Brest, on board the Ultim Adagio and in the company of Eric Péron, who has just returned from an incredible world tour.
A real watch cut out for adventure
Seastrong Diver Extreme. Just by its name, we can guess that this new Alpina watch is not afraid of anything. Especially not diving into the water. And at the same time, the brand founded in 1883 by Gottlieb Hauser has never hidden its penchant for adventure. Pioneering in sports watchmaking, the Geneva-based house distinguished itself as early as 1938 with its Alpina 4 and its 4 fundamental characteristics: shockproof, anti-magnetic, waterproof and made of stainless steel.
From now on, it is with 3 emblematic collections that Alpina demonstrates its efficiency on all terrains: the Startimer in the air, the Alpiner on land (and especially in the mountains), and therefore the Seastrong on the seas. But with its new Diver Extreme variation, the latter offers us a superb fusion between land and sea.
Alpina has indeed chosen to equip it with its iconic Extreme cushion-shaped casing. With its relatively contained dimensions (39 x 40.40 mm for 12.65 mm thick), this toolwatch can fit all wrists, from the strongest to the thinnest, both male and female. Aesthetically, the brand seems to have found the perfect compromise between elegance and sportiness: it’s not hard to imagine wearing this timepiece under a shirt or a suit… even though it’s with a skipper’s waterproof suit that we put it on our wrist.
At the heart of the case, the textured dial features the famous triangular Alpina motif, available in 3 colours: anthracite grey, navy blue and black with an orange flange. Dressed in an orange rubber strap, this latest iteration is undoubtedly the most striking, the one that isn’t afraid to assert its character. But for a more versatile style, the navy blue version, with its strap of the same shade (as well as the crown grip), is a real success.
Beautiful to look at, pleasant to wear, this Seastrong Diver Extreme (available from 1995€) is not just about looking good. Inside too, it has serious advantages: this certified diver (ISO 6425 standard) is waterproof to 300 meters, as its engraved back reminds us, and its automatic AL-525 movement, despite a small power reserve of 38 hours, has already proven its reliability and accuracy in the past.
Welcome aboard the Ultim Adagio with the Seastrong Diver Extreme… and Eric Péron!
The reliability and robustness of the watch, Eric Péron put them through rigorous tests at the very beginning of 2024. The skipper indeed took his Alpina around the globe as part of the first Arkéa Ultim Challenge, a solo sailing race completed in 66 days 1 hour 14 minutes and 27 seconds. A genuine feat, especially since he was a last-minute entrant and the boat had to be prepared in just 3 months.
💡Also read : Navigator and Alpina ambassador, Eric Péron completes his first solo round-the-world journey
As the official timekeeper of the competition, Alpina chose Eric Péron as ambassador in October 2023. Five weeks after his return to Earth, it was high time to celebrate the achievement of this modern-day hero. The brand therefore invited us to Brest for an impressive sailing experience aboard the Ultim Adagio.
If it does not have all the characteristics of a “real” modern Ultim, the boat has what it takes to intimidate the mere earthlings that we are. 31 meters long, a mast 35 meters high and more than 660 m² of downwind sail area, the trimaran is impressive. Inside, however, the impression is very different: with an interior living cell of only 6 m², one better not be claustrophobic! It quickly becomes apparent that all the space has been optimized to allow a lone man to cope with any eventuality in the middle of a race. Even here, in the middle of Brest harbor, it is hard to understand how a single man can handle raising the sail, keeping the course, carrying out multiple repairs, thinking about a racing strategy, eating, sleeping… So, when it came to facing waves more than 6 meters high off the Azores or Cape Horn…
After a complete tour of the property, Eric Péron offers us to move on to manoeuvering and even take the helm of Adagio, with our Alpina Seastrong Diver Extreme on our wrist, of course. There, the feeling is very different than behind the wheel of a latest generation SUV or any other land vehicle. We feel tiny and yet, the ship obeys with incredible precision. And when the speed climbs up to 27 knots (about 50 km/h), we quickly tend to think of ourselves as the king of the seas!
After nearly 2 hours spent on board (if we rely on our Alpina), it’s time to return to solid ground and take stock of this crazy experience with the other journalists present. And as if that wasn’t enough, Randy the Dolphin comes to say hello at the port… We find ourselves far away from the serene atmosphere of Watches & Wonders; but the Seastrong Diver Extreme, it has managed to charm us in both settings!